معرفی
Pille Gerhold is a researcher at the University of Tartu, currently serving as Project Manager at the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies since 2025. She previously held positions as Senior Research Fellow at the Estonian University of Life Sciences (2020–2025) and Senior Researcher at the University of Tartu's Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences (2016–2020). She has also been a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa (2024) and Radboud University (2011–2013).
- PhD in Biology, University of Kaiserslautern, Germany (2005)
- MSc in Plant Ecology, University of Tartu (2001)
- BSc in Biology, University of Tartu (1999)
Her research focuses on phylogenetic and functional diversity, community assembly, plant-insect interactions, and responses to environmental change. She integrates macroecological, evolutionary, and conservation perspectives, often using large-scale datasets and phylogenetic methods. Her work spans tropical and temperate ecosystems, including the Atlantic Forest, Mediterranean regions, and calcareous fens.
The recent articles highlight consistent themes: latitudinal and environmental drivers of phylogenetic diversity, evolutionary responses to coexistence, and the role of deep-time processes in shaping modern communities. Her work frequently appears in top ecology journals such as Ecology Letters, Journal of Vegetation Science, and Scientific Reports, demonstrating strong interdisciplinary and collaborative research.
- Fulbright Scholarship (2024)
- Estonian-French PARROT Grant (2017)
- Invited Keynote Speaker, IAVS Conference (2016)
- Multiple awards at German ecological conferences (2003, 2004)
Gerhold has supervised 19 Bachelor’s, 10 Master’s, and 3 PhD theses, reflecting her commitment to academic mentoring. She has taught courses in tropical ecology, insect ecology, phylogenetic methods, and data analysis. She has also contributed to academic service as an ERASMUS coordinator and member of thesis defense and admission committees. Her grant portfolio includes leadership roles in projects funded by the Estonian Research Agency and collaborations with international teams.
She is actively involved in the scientific community as a referee for major funding bodies (e.g., NSF, NRF) and over 30 journals, including Nature Ecology and Evolution and The American Naturalist.
