Jens Soelberg

Jens Soelberg serves as Collection Manager at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, part of the University of Copenhagen's Faculty of Science, with additional responsibilities as an academic employee focused on ethnobotanical research and collection management. His work centers on vascular plants collections, biocultural collections, and the documentation of plant-based traditional knowledge systems.

Dr. Soelberg earned his PhD in Ethnobotany from the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (SUND) at the University of Copenhagen in 2017, following an MSc in Biology (2011) and a BSc in Biology from the Faculty of Science. His academic trajectory includes positions as Teaching Assistant (2011-2019), PhD Fellow (2013-2017), and Postdoctoral Researcher (2019-2023).

His research program spans multiple interconnected domains within ethnobotany:

• Documentation and validation of medicinal plants across diverse cultural contexts
• Ethnopharmacological studies of traditional remedies from former Danish colonies
• Development of research infrastructure including the Danish Medicinal Plant Biobank
• Historical analysis of plant-based medicines and drug development
• Cross-cultural comparison of plant knowledge systems

Analysis of his publication record reveals a consistent focus on bridging traditional ethnobotanical knowledge with contemporary pharmacological research. His work demonstrates particular expertise in Central Asian, African, and Caribbean ethnobotany, with significant attention to plants with historical connections to Denmark's colonial past. A notable trend is his systematic approach to validating traditional remedies through modern scientific methods while preserving cultural context.

Dr. Soelberg has directed several major initiatives including the Danish Medicinal Plant Biobank (2020-2023), the comprehensive "Alle Tiders Lægeplanter" digital resource (2018-2022), and the conservation of the Pharmacognostic Collection (2017-2019). His fieldwork spans 15+ countries across five continents, reflecting the global scope of his ethnobotanical documentation efforts.

As Collection Manager for vascular plants, he oversees significant botanical resources while advancing research on the intersection of biodiversity, traditional knowledge, and modern drug discovery. His work supports both academic research and public science communication through museum exhibits and digital platforms.