2026 Cohort of Full Member PhD Students
César Herrero González
PhD student, Natural History Museum, University of Oslo
César is a biologist with a Master’s degree in biotechnology and a strong background in population genetics using genomic and epigenomic approaches. His PhD project investigates whether convergent Arctic traits are underpinned by similar genetic mechanisms in distantly related plant species.
Hyeon-Sik Yoon
PhD student, NTNU University Museum
Hyeon-Sik has a broad interest in species-level research using morphological taxonomy and phylogenomics, as well as population-level research based on population genomics. He is particularly interested in the evolutionary origins and functions of unique traits in seed-free plants. His PhD project focuses on peatmoss (Sphagnum) and aims to understand phenomena related to clonality by quantifying somatic mutation rates and generation times in clonal species, in order to trace the evolutionary history and consequences of isolated asexual populations, such as those in Svalbard.
Katharina Rambau
PhD student, NTNU University Museum
After completing her Bachelor’s degree in Biology at LMU Munich, Katharina discovered her fascination for bryophytes during her Master’s courses at TU Munich, where the idea for her PhD project originated. Her goal is to develop an environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring protocol for bryophytes.
Hans Meinhard í Eyðansstovu
PhD student, NTNU University Museum
Hans’s main interests are plant systematics, speciation, and biogeography. His PhD project focuses on alien plants in the Arctic, using genomic data to investigate where these plants originated, how they have been able to establish in Arctic environments, and whether they have made any adaptations to Arctic conditions.
Sara Tuuli Maria Karvo
PhD student, University Museum of Bergen
Sara is a PhD student in marine ecology based in the Theoretical Ecology Group at UiB. Her work focuses on how mesopelagic micronekton such as small fish and zooplankton move from the deep ocean into shallower sea areas and enter the food chains of these ecosystems. Sara has an interdisciplinary background in ocean sciences, and her research combines a variety of methods from modelling to molecular tools. She also has a broader interest in taxonomy with a focus on macroalgae.
Lucas Geisler
PhD student, NTNU University Museum
Lucas is a PhD researcher at NTNU in Trondheim, focusing on dark taxa and the scientific and structural challenges surrounding their study. His work explores how limited taxonomic expertise and workforce shortages shape our knowledge of these enigmatic groups, and how new collaborative approaches can help accelerate species discovery and identification. With a strong interest in taxonomy and research infrastructure, he aims to bridge gaps between taxonomy, technology, and large-scale data generation, contributing practical solutions that strengthen the future of taxonomy and improve our understanding of Earth’s hidden biodiversity.
Elena Schrofner-Brunner
PhD student, University Museum of Bergen
Elena has a Master’s degree in marine biology and is a PhD student at the University of Bergen. Her PhD project aims to establish a baseline for green macroalgae taxonomy (Ulvales and Ulotrichales, Ulvophyceae) in Norway by creating a barcode reference library that combines traditional morphometrics with modern molecular tools.