Hernán E. Morales

Hernán E. Morales is an Associate Professor at the Section for Hologenomics within the Globe Institute at the University of Copenhagen. He maintains dual affiliations with the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of his research bridging evolutionary biology and genomics.

Dr. Morales leads the Evolutionary and Conservation Genomics Group, where his research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of genetic diversity generation, maintenance, and loss. His work specifically examines the short- and long-term genomic consequences of population collapse (genomic erosion) and how this process influences extinction risk and species recovery potential.

His research integrates (paleo)genomics, evolutionary modeling, and quantitative analyses to study biodiversity loss from a genomic perspective. His work spans endangered species conservation, museum genomics, and computational simulations of evolutionary dynamics. Key research areas include evolutionary genomics, adaptation, conservation, speciation, and biodiversity studies, with particular emphasis on how genomic processes affect species' resilience to environmental changes.

Analysis of Dr. Morales' publication record reveals a strong thematic focus on conservation genomics, particularly examining genetic load, genomic erosion, and population dynamics across diverse taxa including wolves, mammoths, and the critically endangered kākāpō parrot. His work consistently connects theoretical evolutionary concepts with practical conservation applications, demonstrating how genomic insights can inform species management and recovery efforts.

Dr. Morales has established the Evolutionary and Conservation Genomics Group which brings together researchers to address fundamental questions in evolutionary biology with direct applications to conservation. The group's work combines theoretical modeling with empirical genomic analyses to develop better approaches for species conservation and management in the face of anthropogenic environmental changes.