Gitte Petersen

Gitte Petersen has established herself as a leading researcher in plant systematics and molecular evolution, currently serving as a senior lecturer at Stockholm University's Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP). After a long career at the University of Copenhagen from 1990 to 2018, where she worked at both the Department of Botany and the Natural History Museum of Denmark, she joined DEEP in 2018. Her research focuses on plant molecular systematics, particularly parasitic plants like mistletoe, investigating their mitochondrial genome evolution and gene losses. She has made significant contributions to education through developing courses in phylogeny and molecular plant systematics, and was instrumental in establishing the Nordic Master's Program in Biodiversity and Systematics (NABiS). In the Coursera course "Origins - Formation of the Universe, Solar System, Earth and Life," she teaches about the origin and diversification of flowering plants, demonstrating her expertise in plant evolution and diversity. Her teaching excellence spans multiple levels, from undergraduate to graduate courses, including distance learning programs