Anna Brüniche-Olsen

I grew up in Copenhagen, Denmark, where I studied biology at the University of Copenhagen. I found it fascinating how we can use DNA to gain information on species evolutionary histories.

This led to a keen interest in population genetics and molecular evolution. During my Master of Science I studied population genetics of indigenous Danish cattle breeds (Bos taurus), surveying genetic histories and assessing the effects of population fragmentation.

After I completed my MSc I worked on the demographic history of African cape buffalos (Syncerus caffer caffer).

In 2010 I moved to Australia to do a PhD at the University of Tasmania. My PhD project focuses on inferring demographic history of the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii).

I am especially interested in understanding the impacts past climate changes may have had on the species genetic diversity, and how the current spread of the infectious cancer, devil facial tumor disease (DFTD), influences genetic diversity of devils.

In my research I use DNA sequence data from both modern and ancient specimens.