Steven Janssens

Dr. Steven Janssens is an Associate Professor at the Department of Biology, KU Leuven, where he leads and co-leads research projects in plant evolutionary biology, conservation genetics, and genomics. His work spans molecular ecology, climate-resilient agriculture, and forensic botany.

• Research Focus: Phylogenomics, species delimitation, energy sensing systems in plants, and climate-smart crop production.
• Projects: Includes "Reconstructing Evolution of the Plant Energy Sensing System" (2025–2028) and "Genomic barcoding to trace illegally logged African trees" (2018–2024).
• Key Collaborations: Partnered with institutions across Europe, Africa, and Asia on biodiversity monitoring and crop improvement.

Publications highlight his expertise in resolving taxonomic controversies (e.g., Impatiens, Galianthe) and advancing DNA-based identification tools for economically significant species like Coffea and Pterocarpus. He also co-supervises PhD students in molecular biodiversity studies.