Eske Willerslev

Current Positions (as of January 2015)

Prince Philip Chair of Ecology and Evolution elect, University of Cambridge (2015-) 

Lundbeck Foundation Professor, University of Copenhagen (2014-20)

Director, Program Pathogens as Cause of Cancer (2011-2016)

Director, Centre for GeoGenetics (a Center of Excellence) (2009-)

Director (together with Prof Wang Jun, BGI) The Sino-Danish Sequencing Centre (a collaboration between the Copenhagen sequencing centre and BGI) (2009-) Director, National Tissue Bank and Sequencing Facility (2009-) Professor National History Museum, University of Copenhagen (2009-)

Previous Appointments

Professor of Evolutionary Biology, Dept. of Biology, Univ. of Copenhagen (2006-2011)

Chief Director, FNU Centre for Ancient Genetics (2005-2009)

Visiting Professor, Dept. of Zoology, Oxford University, UK (2005-2007)

Professor (MSO) of Ancient DNA, the Niels Bohr Institute, Univ. of Copenhagen (2005-2006)

Wellcome Trust Fellow, Dept. of Zoology, Oxford University, UK (2003-2005)

Research visitor MD Anderson Cancer Research Centre, University of Texas, US (2002)

 

Education and Qualifications

DSc (dr. scient.), Ancient DNA, Dept. of Biology, University of Copenhagen (2004)

Cand. scient. (Master’s level degree), Dept. of Zoology, University of Copenhagen (Jan 1998)

Honours Awards, Scholarly Achievements

Adopted member of the Crow tribe, Montana (Apsaalooke), got the name ChiitdeeXia’ssee (meaning well known scout) (2014) 

Foreign associate member, National Academy of Sciences USA (2014) 

Honorary Doctor, University of Olso (2014) 

UC Berkeley Miller Visiting Professorship (2014)

Lundbeck Professorship (2013)

Ib Hendriksen Foundation Award (unsolicited) (2013)

The Rosenkjær Award (unsolicited) (2012)

The Lundbeck Foundation Young Scientists Award (unsolicited) (2011)

The DM Researchers Prize (unsolicited) (2011)

The Danish Independent Research Councils Research Communication Prize, Danish Ministry of Science and Education (unsolicited) (2011)

The Danish Independent Research Councils Major EliteForsk (Elite Research) Prize, Danish Ministry of Science and Education (unsolicited) (2011)

Antiquity Prize for the best paper in the Journal Antiquity in 2009 (Hebsgaard et al. ’The Farm Beneath the Sand’ – an archaeological case study on ancient ‘dirt’ DNA') (unsolicited) (2010)

The Ellen and Hans Hermes Science Award (unsolicited) (2010)

The Genius Scientific Communication Prize (unsolicited) (2009)

Elected member of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters (2008)

The Danish Independent Research Councils' Young Researcher's Award, Danish Ministry of Science and Education (unsolicited) (2005)

The Hartmanns Science Prize (unsolicited) (2004)

Wellcome Trust Fellowship (2003-2005)

Copenhagen Global Change Initiative (COGCI) PhD Student Fellowship (2000-2003)

Memberships of Scholarly Societies & Academic Boards

The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters

International Science Advisory Board, First Ancient Biomaterials

The International Mars Cryoscout drilling Team (NASA)

The Planetary Permafrost and Astrobiology Working Group of the IPA (under Chris McKay, NASA Ames Space Centre)

International Science Advisory Board, First Ancient Biomaterials Conference, 2009

Editorial & Funding Review Panels & Committees

Ad hoc editor PNAS, Associate Editor for BMC Evolutionary Biology, Editorial board member for BMC Evolutionary Biology, The Open Evolution Journal, Zoological Research, Journal of Evolutionary Biology, the journal Insects, and The International Journal of Forensic Anthropology and Ad hoc reviewer for more than 40 grant agencies and journals, including the NSF (US), Nature, Science, and PNAS.

Collaboration with Industry

Bavarian Nordic (collaboration on vaccine development)

BGI Europe (collaboration on sequencing cancer pathogens)

Research Grants as PI or co-PI

All research funding (1997-2016): €58,092,184

Lundbeck Foundation, DK, PI, 2014-2019, €3,205,128

Danish National Research Foundation, DK, PI, 2014-19: €6,715,189

UCPH Excellence Programme for Interdisciplinary Research (2016 Funds): €4,824,933

Fredrik Paulsen Private Donation, DK, PI, 2012: €27,000

Advanced Technology Foundation, DK, PI, 2012-15 (since 2013 other PI runs the project): €900,000

University Paul Sabatier, France, Co-PI, 2012: €20,000

APEGE/CNRS (INEE), France, Co-PI, 2012: €15,000

Lundbeck Foundation, DK, PI: €342,465

Advanced Technology Foundation, DK, Co-PI, €11,440,000 (for EW €8,000,000), 2011-16: €8,000,000

Marie Curie Fellowship, EU, Co-PI, 2011-14: €290,000

'Ancient Ibis Mummies from Egypt: DNA Evolution' Human Frontier Science, Co-PI, 2011-13: €898,197

The Origin of the First Australians', ARC Discovery grant, AU, Co-PI, 2011-13: €158,018

Villum Fonden, DK, PI = EW, 2011: €154,700

Ulla and Mogens Folmer Andersens Foundation, DK, PI, 2011: €9,300

Marie Curie Fellowship, EU, Co-PI, 2010-13: €214,000

Lundbeck Foundation, DK, PI, 2010: €338,000

Major EliteForsk (Elite Research) prize, DK, PI, 2010: €162,162

Grete and Sigurds Pedersen Foundation, DK, PI, 2010: €9,730

Kornerup Foundation, DK, PI, 2010: €26,700

National Geographic Society, US, PI = EW, 2010: €24,000

Danish National Research Foundation, DK, PI, 2009-14: €6,715,189

Danish National Science Foundation, PI, 2009-11: €4,666,666

The Danish Council for Independent Research, Medical Sciences, PI, 2009-11: €270,000

Danish National Science Foundation, Co-PI, 2009-11: €480,000

American National Science Foundation, USA, PI (For Copenhagen), 2009-10: €16,461

Copenhagen Excellence DK, Co-PI, 2008-12: €3,333,266

Infrastructure grant, DK, PI, 2008-12: €3,354,353

Copenhagen Excellence DK, PI, 2008-12: €1,333,333

Norwegian Research Council, NE, Co-PI, 2008-11: €1,253,687

Lundbeck Foundation, DK, PI, 2008-11: €174,594

Swedish Research Council, SE, Co-PI, 2008-11: €156,045

Swedish Research Council, SE, Co-PI, 2008-11: €255,258

Lundbeck Foundation, DK, PI, 2008-11: €670,000

Danish National Science Foundation DK, PI, 2008-11: €300,000

Danish National Science Foundation DK, PI, 2008-11: €470,000

Danish National Science Foundation DK, Co-PI, 2008-11: €480,000

EU Early Stage Research Network (EU-215362), Co-PI, 2008-11: €244,549

Centre of Excellence Denmark, Co-PI, 2007-12: €6,037,027

Nabiit Program (DSF), SEQNET, Co-PI, 2007-10: €144,000

Lundbeck Foundation, Denmark, Co-PI, 2007-10: €266,666

The Villum Kann Rasmusen Foundation, Denmark, PI, 2007-10: €90,000

Danish National Science Foundation DK, PI, 2007: €403,226

EU Net Work Grant (EU-FP6-GOCE-CT-2005-036866), Co-PI (for Uni. Copenhagen), 2006-11: €329,247

Evoltree (EU Network of Excellence), Co-PI (for Uni.Copenhagen), 2006-10: €21,000

Marsden Grant New Zealand, Co-PI, 2006-09: €445,945

Danish National Science Foundation DK, PI, 2005-08: €1,006,171

Arts and Humanities Research Board, UK, PI, 2005-08: €165,960

EU Early Training Site (EU-FP6-MEIF-CT-2005-025002), Co-PI, 2005-07: €192,944

Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC), UK, PI, 2005-07:    €39,200

Novo Nordisk Foundation, Co-PI, 2005: €37,333

EU Network Grant (EU-FP6-MEST-CT-2004-007909), Co-P.I., for Uni. Copenhagen, 2004-09: 268,312

Australian Research Council, Co-PI, 2004-07: €289,705

Royal Society Foundation, UK, PI, 2004-05: €22,792

Wellcome Trust, UK, PI, 2003-06: €314,530

Danish National Science Foundation, DK, PI, 2003-06: €66,666

Carlsberg Foundation, DK, PI, 2003-06: €173,333

Novo Nordisk Foundation, DK, PI, 2003:    €25,333

Copenhagen Global Change Initiative (COGCI), PI, 2000-03: €213,333

Villum Kann Rasmussn Foundation, DK, Co-PI, 2000-03: €223,333

Åge V. Jensen Foundation, DK, Co-PI, 1997: €13,333

Research Field Expeditions

2010: Expedition to Qajaa at the Isfjord, Northwest Greenland. Collected sediment samples and archaeological remains for DNA analyses for Centre for GeoGenetics, Uni. Copenhagen

2009: Expedition to Qajaa at the Isfjord, Northwest Greenland. Collected sediment samples and archaeological remains for DNA analyses for Centre for GeoGenetics, Uni. Copenhagen

2006: One-month expedition to Peary Land, North Greenland. Collected megafauna fossils (musk ox and reindeer), and sediment samples for DNA analyses for Ancient DNA and Evolution Group, Biological Institute, Uni. Copenhagen.

2005: One-month expedition to Taymyr, North East Siberia. Collected megafauna fossils (woolly mammoth, horse, and musk ox), and sediment samples for DNA analyses for Ancient DNA and Evolution Group, Niels Bohr Institute, Uni. Copenhagen.

2004: Two-month expedition to Yukon, Northern Canada and Chukotka, North East Siberia. Collected Megafauna fossils (woolly mammoth, horse, bison, lions, bears, and wolfs), ancient coprolites and sediment samples for DNA analyses for Dept. Zool. Uni. Oxford, UK and Inst. Biol. Uni. Copenhagen.

2003: One-month expedition to Yukon, Northern Canada. Collected Megafauna fossils (woolly mammoth, horse, bison, lions, bears, and wolfs), ancient coprolites and sediment samples for DNA analyses for Dept. Zool. Uni. Oxford, UK

2001: Led one-month expedition to Jakobshavn, Western Greenland. Collected glacier ice for DNA studies, for the Zoo. Inst. Uni. Copenhagen, Denmark.

2000: One-month expedition to the North GRIP drilling site, Northern Greenland, drilling ice cores for the Niels Bohr Inst. Uni. Copenhagen, Denmark

1996: One-month expedition to Disko Island, Western Greenland.  Collected meiofauna in Davis Strait for Zoo. Inst. Uni. Copenhagen.

1993-94: Lived for six-months as trapper among the Yukagihr people, Yakutia, Northeastern Siberia.

1993: Led four-month expedition to Yakutia and Magadan, North Eastern Siberia for Uni. Copenhagen, Uni. Aarhus. Collected megafauna fossils (woolly mammoth, horse, and bison) and entogaphic material from the Yukagihr, Yakut, and Even people and did a documentary film in collaboration with Nordic Film A/S.

1992: Led two-month expedition to Kamchatka, North Eastern Siberia for Uni. Copenhagen and Uni. Aarhus. Collected entogaphic material from the Chuckchi, Koryak, and Even people.

1991: Led three-month expedition to Yakutia, North Eastern Siberia. Collected megafauna fossils (woolly mammoth, horse, and bison) and entogaphic material from the Yakut and Even people for Moesgaard Mus. Uni. Aarhus, Denmark

Administrative Duties

Section head, Natural History Museum of Denmark (2013-) 

Board member Zoological Garden of Denmark (2011-)

External Scientific Committee Member, Inst. of Evolutionary Biology, Barcelona, Spain (2010-)

Chief Director, Sino-Danish Sequencing Centre (2009-)

Chief Director, Centre for GeoGenetics (2009-)

Chief Director, National Tissue Bank and Sequencing Facility (2009-)

Head Ancient DNA and Environments Group (2009-)

Head: the Evolutionary Biology Section (2007-2008)

Head: the Ancient DNA and Evolution Group (2005-2009)

Member: the Fusion Committee (Dept. of Molecular Biology and Dept. of Biology) (2007-08)

Member: the Laboratory Committee, Department of Biology (2005-09)

Chief Director, FNU Center for Ancient Genetics (2005-09)  

Teaching, Univ. of Copenhagen (2004- )

Ancient DNA and Evolution (graduate course), Natural History Museum of Denmark (2010- )

Ancient DNA and Evolution (graduate course), Dept. of Biology (2007-10)

Introduction to population biology (undergraduate course), Dept. of Biology (2005- ) 

Molecular Evolution (graduate course), Dept. of Evolutionary Biology (1996-02)

Evolutionary Biology (undergraduate course), Dept. of Evolutionary Biology (1996-02)

Occasionally lecturing in evolutionary biology, nationally and internationally (undergraduates and graduates) (2005-2007)

Supervision

Post-doctoral research: 26 post-doctoral projects

Dr. Junxia Wuhanyjx (visiting post doc), Beijing University, China

Dr. Henrik Glenner, Dept. Biology, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. Martin Vinter Sørensen, Dept. Biology, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. Tom Gilbert, Dept. Biology, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. Jaco Weinstock, Dept. Biology, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. Tobias Mourier, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. Kasper Munch, Dept. Biology, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. Mette Elstrup Steemand, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. Erik Axelsson, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. Helena Malmström, Dept. Biology, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. Mette Vestergaard Madsen, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. Paula Campos, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. Cristina Valdiosera, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. James Haile, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. Tracy Pierre, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. Aurelien Ginolhac, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. Enrico Cappellini, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. Morten Rasmussen, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. Eline Lorenzen, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. Anna-Sapfo Malaspinas, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. Morten Allentoft, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. Lasse Vinner, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. Helena Fridholm, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. Anne Ahlmann Nielsen, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. Sarah Mollerup, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. Maanasa Raghaven, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Dr. Astrid Schmidt, Niels Bohr/ Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

19 PhD theses; 13 visiting students

Mr. Martin Hebsgaard, Niels Bohr Institute, Uni. Copenhagen

Mr. Jonas Binladen, Dept. Biology, Uni. Copenhagen

Ms. Paula Campos, Dept. Biology, Uni. Copenhagen

Ms. Astrid Schmidt, Niels Bohr/ Dept. Biology, Uni. Copenhagen

Ms. Isabelle Savignac da Piedade, Dept. Biology, Uni. Copenhagen

Mr. Morten Rasmussen, Dept. Biology, Uni. Copenhagen

Ms. Eva Garde, Biology, Dept. Biology, Uni. Copenhagen

Ms. Maanasa Raghavan, Dept. Biology, Uni. Copenhagen

Mr. Jesper Stennerup, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Mr. David Alquezar, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Mr. Søren Overballe-Petersen, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Mr. Jakob Holm, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Ms. Tina Jørgensen, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Ms. Phillip Francis Thomson Dept. Biology, Uni. Copenhagen

Ms. Kenneth Andersen, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Mr. Mikkel Pedersen, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Mr. Victor Moreno Mayar, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Mr. Thorfinn Sand Korneliussen, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Mr. Ashot Margaryan, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Ms. Sarah Stewart Johnson (visiting PhD stud.), MIT, USA

Mr. Andrew David Foote (visiting PhD stud.), University of Durham, UK

Ms. Helena Malmström (visiting PhD stud.), Uppsala University, Sweden 

Ms. Lourdes Sampietro (visiting PhD stud.), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain

Ms. Emma Svensson (visiting PhD stud.), Uppsala University, Sweden

Ms. Maanasa Raghavan (visiting PhD stud.), University of Oxford, UK 

Ms. Nuria Naveran (visiting PhD stud.), Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Ms. Anna Juras (visiting PhD stud.), Institute of Anthropology University of Poznan, Poland

Ms. Eleanor Jones (visiting PhD stud), University of York, UK

Mr. Andrew David Foote, (visiting PhD stud), UK

Ms. Vanessa Oliveira, (visiting PhD stud), Brasil

Ms. Elena Gigli (visiting PhD stud), Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Barcelona, Spain

Ms. Maren Schrölkamp (visiting PhD stud), Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany

Graduate Supervision: 12 MSc theses

Mr. Jonas Binladen, Dept. of Biology Uni. Copenhagen

Ms. Sophia Gardner, The Royal Danish Academy of fine art School of Conservation

Mr. Jonas Jacobsen, Novozymes & Dept. of Biology Uni. Copenhagen

Mr. Magnus Lydolph, Novozymes & Dept. of Biology Uni. Copenhagen

Ms. Sarah Stewart Johnson, Dept. Zoology, Uni. Oxford

Mr. Tommy Kristensen, Dept. Biology, Uni. Copenhagen

Ms. Christina Faerch, Niels Bohr, Uni. Copenhagen

Mr. Phillip Francis Thomson Dept. Biology, Uni. Copenhagen

Mr. Kenneth Andersen Dept. Biology, Uni. Copenhagen

Mr. Fernando HR Guadiana, Uni. Guanajuato, Mexico 

Ms. Nynne Hjort Nielsen, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Mr. Mikkel Pedersen, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Mr. Kasper Lykke Hansen, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Undergraduate Supervision: 5 theses

Mr. Malte Thodberg, Uni. Copenhagen

Mr. Fernando Ramírez, University of Guanajuato, Mexico 

Ms. Gerith Parmo, Dept. of Biology Uni. Copenhagen

Ms. Hlif Ivy Linnetved, Natural History Museum, Uni. Copenhagen

Ms. Roberta Corsi (visiting BSc student), University of Barcelona, Spain

Laboratory Technicians, Univ. of Copenhagen

Ms. Tina B Brand

Ms. Lise Rask McKay

Ms. Jette Agnete Sørensen

Ms. Camilla Friis

Ms. Pernielle Selmer Olsen

Mr. Kim Magnussen

Ms. Karen Oliver (Univ. of Oxford)

Ms. Lillian Anne Nissen Petersen

Ms. Cecilie Demring Mortensen

Invited talks and seminars

2015

Ancient human genomics, Miller Institute, UC Berkeley, USA 

2014

What we can learn from ancient genetics and genomics, Life science seminars, Sanger, UK 

What we can learn from ancient genetics and genomics, Life science seminars, EPFL, Lausanne, Swiss 

Hunting the molecular past, Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Norway  

Modern and ancient genetics and genomics as tools for understanding population dynamics and community changes, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, UK.

2013

Hunting the Molecular Past, Department of Biology, Illinois University, USA. 

Hunting our Molecular Past, Department of Genetics, Harvard University, USA.

Hunting our Molecular Past, Faculty of Life Science, Manchester University, Manchester UK. 

Hunting our Molecular Past, Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London UK. 

Hunting our Molecular Past with Ancient DNA, Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute in Australia. Melbourne, Australia 

Hunting our Molecular Past with Ancient DNA, Statistics, University of Oxford, UK 

Hunting our Molecular Past with Ancient DNA, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany.  

Ancient DNA, Oslo University, Centre for Ecology, University of Oslo, Norway

2012

Hunting our Molecular Past by Ancient DNA, Museu da Ciência, Coimbra University, 

Portugal

Hunting our Molecular Past by Ancient DNA, Department of Anthropology, SMU 

Dallas, USA  

Aboriginal Australians – The First Human Explorers Archaeology, The University of 

Western Australia, Australia

Aboriginal Australians – The First Human Explorers Morrison Institute for 

Population and Resource Studies, Stanford University, US

Reconstructing the Past from Ancient DNA, Dept. of Biosciences, Univ. of Helsinki, Finland

2011

Aboriginal Australians-First Explorers, Murdoch Univ., Australia

Present and Future of Ancient DNA,  Aberdeen Univ., UK

2010

Extinction of the Ice Age Megafauna, Univ. of Aberdeen, UK

Hunting Molecular Past, King Saud Univ., Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Hunting Molecular Past, Univ. of St. Andrews, Scotland

Hunting Molecular Past, Goteborg Univ., Sweden

Hunting Molecular Past, Atapuerca, Spain

Hunting Molecular Past, Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, USA

Three Recent Ancient DNA studies on Early Peopling of the New World and Mammoth Extinction,  Texas Archeological Research Lab., Univ. of Texas, USA

2009

Ancient DNA, CNRS Lyon, France

Retrieval of Ancient DNA from Fossil Remains, Netherlands Bioinformatics Centre (NBIC), Nijmegen, Netherlands

Ancient DNA, Forensic Science, Linköbing, Sweden

Ancient DNA, Penn State University USA

2007

Revealing the secrets of the 454 sequencing platform,  The Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Oslo University

four talks on ancient DNA, Tokyo Institute of Technology Japan

Geologically ancient DNA –fact or artefact? Stockholm University

Ancient DNA possibilities and pitfalls, Lund University, Sweden

Ancient Dirt DNA and Ancient DN, Univ. of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Texas

2006

Ancient DNA, Uppsala Univ., Sweden

Ancient Dirt DNA, Leiden Univ., Leiden the Netherlands

Ancient DNA from Sediments, University College of London, UK

2005

Ancient DNA, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, Boston USA

Ancient DNA, Danish Centre for Scientific Computing, DCSC

Ancient Sedimentary DNA, Max Planck Institute, Leipzig, Germany

Climate reconstruction from ancient DNA preserved in fossil ice and permafrost,  Univ. of Oslo, Norway

Ancient DNA from Sediments and Fossil Remains, UCL, UK

2004

Ancient DNA, CNRS Univ. Joseph Fourier, Grenoble Cedex, France

Ancient DNA from Ice, Sediments and Fossil Remains, Centre for Diversity and Genetic Resources, University of Porto, Portugal

2003

Ancient DNA, Dept. of Physical Geography, Lund University, Sweden

2001

Perspectives for Ancient DNA in Ice and Permafrost, Opening of the Centre for Planetary Science, 1 Feb. 2001, Copenhagen, Denmark

Invited talks at Conferences, Congresses & Workshops

2015

“What we can learn from ancient genomics”, VIP, Brussels, Belgium

2014

“What we can learn from ancient genomics”, Kidney week, American Society of Nephrology, Philadelphia, Nov. 11-16

“Advances in DNA Research Revealing the Patterns of Early Human Movements” Santa Barbara Symposium on Human Origins II, September 12-13

“What we can learn from ancient human genetics and genomics”, Cell Symposia: Evolution of modern humans, March 16 – 18.

2013

“Genetic Origins of Native Americans”, Paleoamerican Odyssey, Sante Fe, New Mexico, US, October 16-19.    

“Archeological Genomics – What Our Ancient Ancestors and Cousins Can Teach Us”, Global Technology Community (GTC) NGS & Bioinformatics, Berlin, Germany, October 7-8.   

“Hunting the Molecular Past”, The First International Environmental Omics Synthesis Conference, Cardiff, UK, September 9-11. 

“Hunting the Molecular Past”, World Congress of the International Society for Forensic Genetics 2013, Melbourne, Australia, September 2-7. 

 “Paleogenetics and Ancient DNA Sequencing”, CTC 3rdNext-generation Sequencing Conference, San Francisco, US, June 19-22. 

“Hunting the Molecular Past”, Genome, Disease and Evolution CIG Symposium.

2012

Lausanne, Swiss, June 6 and 7.    

“Past Genomics and Environmental DNA”, Omics Australasia 2012 Symposium, Perth, Australia, November 27-30.  

“Hunting the Molecular Past”, Science Festival, Genova, October 25- November 4. 

“Ancient Genomics”, SMBE, Dublin, June 23-26.

2011

“Ancient Human Genomics”, The 12th Gene Forum, Estonia, June 8-9. 

“Theories on Human Evolution”, Turkana, Kenya May 25-27.

 “Diabetes Type 2 Association Mapping in Aboriginal Australians”, FAHCSIA/PLO conference, Sydney, Australia, Marts 22-23.

“Understanding Historical Human Migration Patterns and Interbreeding Using the Ancient Genomes of a Palaeo-Eskimo and an Aboriginal Australian”, DOE Joint Genome Institute User Meeting, San Francisco, USA, Marts 20-22.  

“Ancient Human Genomics”, Horizons in Molecular Life Science, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden, Sept 29-30

“Hunting the Molecular Past”, Molecular Frontiers Symposium, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden, May, 23-25 

“Early peopling of the New World", Human Evolution – plagues, pathogens and selection, The Royal Society, London UK June, 8-9 

“Geological Ancient DNA”, Satellite Mtg, Kavli Royal Society Centre, 8 - 9 June 

“Hunting the Molecular Past”, Pop Group 44 Mtg, Univ of Hull, UK, Jan 4-7

2010

“Hunting the Molecular Past”, Population Genetics Group, Univ of Hull, UK, 5 Dec 

“Early Peopling of the New World and the Megafauna Extinction”, DNA, Genetics, and Human Evolution, Cold Spring Harbour, USA, Nov 28-30

”Sequencing of Ancient DNA”, Int. Ancient Genomic Research Conference, Shenzen, China, October 25-27-

“Second-Generation Sequencing in Ancient DNA”, ISBA 4, Copenhagen, Sept 6- 10 

“Hunting the Molecular Past”, NERC Workshop on ‘Omics Technology into NERC Science, , Cardiff, UK, May 19-20 

“Ancient DNA and Metagenomics”, 7th Annual Conference of the Italian Society of Bioinformatics, Bari, Italy, 14-14 April 

“Ancient DNA and Peopling of the New World ", Paleo-Indians: Origins & Issues Panel Discussion, Santa Fe, USA, April 12

“Hunting the Molecular Past”, Southwest Seminars, Santa Fe, USA, April 11

“Hunting the Molecular Past”, Colloquium Series, Ancient Biomaterials Institute, West Chester University, Philadelphia, USA, 26 March

2009

“Ancient Fungi DNA”, Fungi in Time, NVvM Section Mycology, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Nov 27 

“Hunting the Molecular Past”, Third International Barcode of Life Conference, Mexico City, Mexico, Nov 7-13 

“The Saqqaq Genome”, Int Conf on Genomics (ICG-IV), Shenzhen, China, 2-5Nov

“Hunting the Molecular Past”, First Int. Symposium on Ancient DNA, National Lab of Genomics for Biodiversity (Langebio), Cinvestav-IPN, 24-25 Sep., Mexico

“Hunting the Molecular Past in Sediments”, Ancient DNA from Mitochondria to Nuclear DNA, from the Evolution of Populations to the Selection of Characters, 14-16 Sep, Paris

“DNA Retrieval from Fossil Remains", Basel Computational Biology Conference, Basel, 18 Jun 

“Three Recent Case Studies on the Early Peopling of the New World and the megafauna extinction”, International Science Conference on the Early Peopling of the Americas, Los Angeles, USA, 13-17 May

2008

“Ancient DNA”, ECCB’08 Eur Conf Computational Biol, Sardinia Italy, 22-26 Sep

“Ancient microbial DNA from permafrost settings”, Banff Polar Microbial Conference Canada, 11-15 May 

“Ancient DNA for reconstructing past population dynamics and ecosystems”, Grandes Conférences de l’Observatoire des Sciences, l’Univ de Grenoble 22 May

“Ancient DNA from Coprolites Reveal Pre-Clovis Human Presence in North America”,  Paleoamerican Origins Workshop, 14-16 Feb, Austin, Texas, US

2007

“Ancient Dirt DNA”, AGU meeting, San Francisco USA, 10-14 Dec. 

“Ancient Dirt", Archaeology Meeting, Houston Texas, 27 Feb.

2006

"Geological Ancient DNA Fact or Artefact?", Geological Society of America, Philadelphia USA, 24 Oct. 

"Ancient DNA from Native American Coprolites", The Great Basin Anthropological Association (GBAC), Las Vegas, USA, 19-22 Oct. 

"Ancient DNA from Ice and Permafrost", Second International Palaeontological Congress (IPC), Beijing 17 - 21 Jun. 

"Long-term DNA survival and its implications for finding life on Mars and Europa", Origin and Distribution of Life in the Universe: A Nordic Perspective, Stockholm, 8-11 May, 

"DNA degradation and stability", Subglacial Antarctic Lake Environments (SALE): Advanced Science and Technology Planning" Grenoble, France, 24 - 26 April

"Ancient DNA", Ancient DNA and Paleopatology, Rome 31 Mar. - 1 April

2005

"DNA from Lakes and Glacial Ice", AGU meeting, San Fransisco USA, 5-9 Dec. 

"Geologically Ancient DNA", Astrobiology: Life in extreme conditions, Olso, 21 –22 Nov.

2004

“Progress, Pitfalls and Prospects in Ancient DNA Studies”, Pittsburgh Conference Chicago, Illinois, USA, 7 - 12 Mar

2003

“Ancient DNA in Ice and Permafrost and the Exploration of Nucleic acid based Life on Mars”, 3rd Int Conf on Mars Polar Science and Exploration, 13-17 Oct, Canada

“Ancient DNA from sediments”, [NEWW/AR] Plant ancient DNA Symposium 2003, 4-6 Sep, Bordeaux, France

2002

“Ancient plant and bacteria diversity in ancient Siberian permafrost”, 2nd Mtg on Ancient DNA – Preservation, Damage and Repair, 16-17 Nov, Univ of Oxford, UK

2001

"Ancient Bacteria DNA from Permafrost Soils", Life in Ancient Ice: A workshop, 30 Jun. - 4 Jul, Oregon, USA

2000

"DNA investigations of ice cores from the Southern Hemisphere", Southern ice fields seminar II, 21-26 Mar. Valdivia, Chile

1999

"Ice core genetics", Southern ice fields seminar I, 9-10 Nov. Santiago, Chile

"DNA in ice cores and its perspectives", International Workshop on the Martian Ice Caps, 30 Aug. -1 Sep Copenhagen, Denmark

Organisation of International Conferences

2010

International Ancient Genomic Research Conference, Shenzen, China

ISB4, Copenhagen, Denmark

2006

Fourth International Conference on Mars Polar Science and Exploration, Davos Congress Centre, Davos Switzerland

2003

Third International Conference on Mars Polar Science and Exploration, Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada

Media & Public outreach

Documentaries

The last of the Yukagihr people Manuscript: E. Willerslev & T Sonne

Production: The Nordic Film Company A/S

Featuring: Eske Willerslev

How to Build an Ancient Man - The Hair That Changed History

Manuscript: Noel Dockstader & Quinn Kanaly

Production: National Geographic Television

Featuring: Eske Willerslev

The Search for the Head of John the Baptist  

Manuscript: Noel Dockstader & Quinn Kanaly

Production: National Geographic Television

Featuring: Eske Willerslev

Code Breakers

Manuscript: Brian Mckechnie

Production: CBC

Featuring: Eske Willerslev

Exhibitions

På rejse i Sibirien (Traveling in Siberia), Moesgård Museum, Århus 4/3-28/5 1995

Arrangement: Willerslev, E., Willerslev, R., Pedersen, M. Asmussen, I. H, in collaboration with Moesgård Museum, Århus

Klima Ustilling (Climate Exhibition), Natural History Museum of Denmark, 2009-

Consultant: E Willerslev

Udstilling om Dronningens store interesse for arkæologi (The Queen of Denmark Margrethe II and her interest for archaeology), Moesgård Museum 25/3-29/8-2010, National Museum October 2011

Consultant: E Willerslev

Publications (see also Publications in the menu)

Books

2 popular books (in Danish)

Journal Publications

198 peer-reviewed articles, including 38 papers published in the journals Science and Nature (24 as first or last author)

Book Chapters

3 chapters in edited volumes

Popular articles

10 popular articles and book chapters (in Danish)

Popular Books

Willerslev, E. & Willerslev, R. (2003) Udtømningsapparatet og andre fortællinger fra Sibirien, 24 fortællinger fra det runde bord, GAD. Willerslev, R. & Willerslev, E. (1996) Pelsjæger i ødemarken, Klematis, Århus

Popular articles & book chapters

Willerslev, E. & Hansen, A. J. (2000) Fossilt DNA. Naturens verden 1, 33-40 Willerslev, E., Hansen, A. J. & Sørensen, M. V. (1998) Ringbærene, en ny dyrerække. Naturens Verden 1, 15-25

Willerslev, E. (1997) Tajgaens spisekammer. Jæger no. 11, 96-99

Willerslev, E. (1997) Bjørnejagt i Sibirien. Jæger no. 9, 54-57

Willerslev, E. (1997) Ekspeditions liv i Sibirien. Adventure world no. 10, 6-11

Willerslev, E. (1997) Det anarkistiske vilde vesten. Adventure world no. 8, 65-70

Willerslev, E. (1997) Pelsjæger liv i Sibirien. Diana no. 2, 4-11 

Willerslev, E. (1996) Sibiriens naturmiljø. På rejse i Sibirien. In: Damm, A. Asmussen, I.H. Pedersen, M. (eds) 44-49, Moesgård Museum of Århus.

Willerslev, E. (1996) Fortabt i Sibirien. På rejse i Sibirien. In:  Damm, A. Asmussen, I. H. Pedersen, M. (eds.) 50-55, Moesgård Museum of Århus.

Willerslev, E. (1993) Kengen den brune bjørn. Berlinske Tidende, 11/9, 18-20

Doctoral Thesis

Willerslev E. (2004). Recovery and analysis of ancient DNA from ice, sediments, and fossil remains. DSc thesis University of Copenhagen, 2004 pp. 1-346, HCØ tryk, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.