معرفی
Maarja Öpik is a Professor in Molecular Ecology at the University of Tartu's Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences since 2021. She holds editorial leadership as Editor-in-Chief of New Phytologist and serves on editorial boards for multiple journals including IMA Fungus and MycoKeys. Her career spans 22 years at the University of Tartu, with research fellowships at Ben Gurion University, University of Helsinki, and Scottish Crop Research Institute.
Education: BSc (1995) and MSc (1998) in Botany/Mycology at University of Tartu, followed by PhD (2004) on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity. Her research focuses on plant-fungal symbiosis, soil microbiomes, and biodiversity dynamics, with fieldwork in temperate forests, agricultural systems, and peatlands.
Recent publications analyze global peatland greenhouse gas dynamics, dark diversity in vegetation, and nitrogen-fixing microbial biogeography. She develops international microbiology education frameworks and investigates agricultural practice impacts on mycorrhizal communities. As an active editor, she shapes research communication in ecology and mycology.
Key affiliations: Director of Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences (2020-), member of British Ecological Society (2007), Estonian Naturalists' Society (1995), and Estonian Microbiological Association (2004). Her work connects plant-soil interactions with conservation biology and climate change mitigation.
