Mikkel Winther Pedersen

Mikkel Winther Pedersen serves as a Tenure Track Assistant Professor at the Section for Geogenetics within the Globe Institute of the University of Copenhagen's Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. His research bridges archaeology, ecology, and genomics to investigate historical biodiversity patterns and human impacts on ecosystems through advanced ancient and environmental DNA analysis techniques.

Dr. Pedersen's research focuses on developing and applying cutting-edge methodologies for extracting and analyzing genetic material from ancient and degraded samples. His expertise spans paleogenomics, environmental DNA applications, marine biodiversity reconstruction, and archaeogenetics. His work provides critical insights into ecological changes over millennia by examining DNA preserved in marine sediments, archaeological specimens, and museum collections.

His recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on methodological rigor in ancient DNA studies, with significant contributions to understanding DNA degradation processes, optimizing decontamination protocols, and validating analytical approaches for paleogenomic research. Dr. Pedersen's work has particular relevance for marine ecosystem conservation and understanding pre-industrial human impacts on biodiversity.

Dr. Pedersen maintains an extensive collaborative network, as evidenced by his numerous multi-institutional publications appearing in high-impact journals including Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, Journal of Archaeological Science, Molecular Ecology Resources, and Communications Biology. His research has garnered significant attention across academic platforms including X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky, and Mendeley.