Eske Willerslev
Professor
University of Copenhagen
Professor
University of Cambridge
Eske Willerslev is Director of AEGIS and a pioneering evolutionary geneticist. He is Professor at the University of Copenhagen, where he heads the Centre of Excellence for Ancient Environmental DNA (CAEG), and Research Professor of Evolutionary Genetics at the University of Cambridge. He is internationally recognized for pioneering the field of ancient DNA, covering both ancient human and environmental DNA. In 2022, he led the research team that reported the world's oldest DNA – 2-million-year-old environmental DNA recovered from northern Greenland.
Throughout his career, Eske has led numerous international research collaborations that have transformed our understanding of human evolution and migration, biodiversity, ancient pathogens, and the ways in which species and ecosystems have adapted to environmental change through time. His research is founded on close collaboration with scientists across genetics, geology, archaeology, ecology, environmental science, bioinformatics, and other disciplines, demonstrating how interdisciplinary approaches can generate transformative scientific discoveries.
At AEGIS, Eske leads an international scientific initiative that applies these discoveries to one of humanity's greatest challenges: securing sustainable food production in a changing climate. By uncovering how plants, microorganisms, and ecosystems adapted to past environmental change, AEGIS aims to identify genetic traits and ecological interactions that can be used to develop more resilient crops, strengthen biodiversity, and help build sustainable agricultural systems. Under Eske's leadership, AEGIS brings together experts across many disciplines to transform ancient environmental DNA into knowledge that can help shape the future of food security and environmental resilience.
Throughout his career, Eske has led numerous international research collaborations that have transformed our understanding of human evolution and migration, biodiversity, ancient pathogens, and the ways in which species and ecosystems have adapted to environmental change through time. His research is founded on close collaboration with scientists across genetics, geology, archaeology, ecology, environmental science, bioinformatics, and other disciplines, demonstrating how interdisciplinary approaches can generate transformative scientific discoveries.
At AEGIS, Eske leads an international scientific initiative that applies these discoveries to one of humanity's greatest challenges: securing sustainable food production in a changing climate. By uncovering how plants, microorganisms, and ecosystems adapted to past environmental change, AEGIS aims to identify genetic traits and ecological interactions that can be used to develop more resilient crops, strengthen biodiversity, and help build sustainable agricultural systems. Under Eske's leadership, AEGIS brings together experts across many disciplines to transform ancient environmental DNA into knowledge that can help shape the future of food security and environmental resilience.