Dr. Jan Andersson

Biography

Jan Andersson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology at Uppsala University, specializing in microbial evolutionary genomics. He began his academic journey in 1990 and started his doctoral studies in 1995, focusing on intracellular bacteria, with a Ph.D. defense in December 1999. His postdoctoral research at Dalhousie University in Canada explored horizontal gene transfer in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Since returning to Uppsala University in 2003 as an Assistant Professor, he has published several papers contributing to the understanding of genome evolution in eukaryotic microorganisms, particularly focusing on diplomonads—microorganisms found in oxygen-poor environments. Jan has also held the position of Program Director for the MSc in Molecular Biotechnology Engineering from 2013 to 2021, where he played an integral role in curriculum development and industry collaboration. His current research aims to understand evolutionary processes at the genomic level, using bioinformatics to study the differences among diplomonad organisms, which include species that infect humans and fish as well as free-living relatives. Through his work, Jan aims to provide deeper insights into the origins and evolution of parasites and the role of eukaryotic microbes in natural environments.

Research Interests