Karen Meusemann

Karen Meusemann is a researcher at the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), affiliated with the Museum Koenig Bonn and Museum der Natur Hamburg. She contributes to the Centre for Molecular Biodiversity Research (zmb), focusing on phylogenomics, molecular systematics, and evolutionary biology. Her interdisciplinary work bridges genomics, taxonomy, and biodiversity conservation.

Her research explores molecular evolution in diverse taxa, including insects, fish, and fungi. Key interests include phylogenetic methods, hybridization impacts, adaptive radiation, and host-pathogen coevolution. She employs transcriptomics, comparative genomics, and bioinformatic tools to resolve evolutionary patterns and address biodiversity crises.

Meusemann co-leads projects like 1KITE (1K Insect Transcriptome Evolution) and collaborates on global initiatives such as BugNet. Her publications emphasize methodological innovations in phylogenetics and biodiversity monitoring, with recent work highlighting dietary shifts in beetles and introgression in ricefishes.