Dr. Eske Willerslev

Biography

Eske Willerslev holds the Lundbeck Foundation Professorship at the University of Copenhagen and is the director of the Centre of Excellence in GeoGenetics. He also holds the Prince Philip Chair in Ecology and Evolution at the University of Cambridge, UK, and is a research associate at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. Specializing in evolutionary genetics, he is prominent for his work in sequencing ancient human genomes and has significantly advanced the field of environmental DNA, which includes retrieving genetic material from environmental samples. Born in Denmark in 1971, Willerslev spent his youth as an explorer and fur trapper in Siberia. He established an ancient DNA laboratory in Denmark and obtained his Doctor of Science degree in 2004 from the University of Copenhagen. By age 33, he had become the youngest full professor in Denmark. He has held numerous visiting professorships, including at the University of Texas and UC Berkeley, and has received numerous accolades for his contributions to science, including honorary doctorates and membership in prestigious scientific academies. His research focuses on understanding human genetic diversity, and he has published over 200 peer-reviewed papers and supervised more than 60 students and postdoctoral researchers. Willerslev's interdisciplinary work spans genetics, archaeology, anthropology, and environmental science, making him a leader in the study of ancient genomes and their implications for understanding human history and evolution.

Research Interests

Experience

Awards