Holbæk, Denmark, 7 April 1961. Danish citizen.
Current work address
Oslo Botanical Garden
Natural History Museum
University of Oslo
P.O. Box 1172 Blindern
NO-0318 Oslo
Norway
Visiting address: Sars' gate 1, Palmehuset, Toeyen, NO-0562 Oslo
Office: +47 228 51698
Mobile: +47 93028787
Education
PhD (1993) and MSc (1990) in tropical biology, University of Aarhus, Denmark.
- Research in tropical botany in SE Asia, Africa and S America (systematics, ecology, vegetation analyses and plant geography)
- Planning and conducting expeditions and research projects in tropical regions
- Interacting with local communities and governmental institutions in developing countries
- Administration and management of capacity building projects
- Planning and conducting courses in tropical ecology, biodiversity and environmental management, biogeography, and conservation
- Curation of botanical specimens and taxonomic studies at several herbaria, especially in SE Asia
- Supervision of MSc and PhD students in Denmark and developing countries (c. 10)
- Participation in numerous international symposia and workshop, where scientific work was presented
- Making scientific results available to the general public (popular papers, exhibitions, public lectures, participatory expeditions)
- Review of manuscripts for international journals and of books
Positions
2011– Head of Oslo Botanical Garden, Norway.
2008–2011, based at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh to revise the ginger genus Etlingera for Sulawesi, supervise MSc students and develop new methods for engaging the public in botany.
2007–2008, based a Life, University of Copenhagen, as substitute associate professor.
2003–2006, based 3 years at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh funded by the Carlsberg Foundation to carry out the project 'Phylogeny and systematics of the ginger genus Etlingera in SE Asia'.
Study grant at the National Herbarium of The Netherlands - Leiden via "Nederlands Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek" 2002-2003.
In 1993-2001, employed by the universities of Aarhus and Copenhagen in different time-limited positions as, postdoc, curator or research assistant or associate professor.
Research interests
Tropical botany: Vegetation analyses with main emphasis on herbaceous plants on the forest floor in tropical rain forests. I have a special interest in taxonomy, distribution patterns at all scales, and ecology of members of the family Zingiberaceae (gingers) and Pteridophyta. I am presently preparing a revision of the Asian ginger genus Etlingera.
Travels and fieldwork
Extensive traveling since 1985 in relation to research projects or herbarium visits to tropical countries in S America, Africa or Asia.
Stationed 26 months in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Borneo on Biodiversity Project sponsored by Danced (1997-2001).
Publications
44 papers in peer reviewed journals (since 1991).
2 books on gingers in Borneo (2006).
11 papers in proceedings, reports etc. (since 1996).