University of Zurich
Prof. Anna Liisa Laine obtained her PhD degree at the University of Helsinki before moving as Postdoc to the University of California, USA and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia. She started her research group in 2010 at the University of Helsinki with an ERC Starting Grant, where she got appointed full professor in 2015. Before moving to the University of Zurich in 2019, she received an ERC Consolidator Grant. Prof. Laines research focuses on eco-evolutionary feedback loops driving interactions between species. With complementary molecular, field survey and mathematical modelling approaches, her group tries to understand the processes by which natural communities are structured and maintained. Furthermore, her group investigates the interaction between hosts and pathogens at the community level to understand the impact of biodiversity on disease epidemics. In collaboration with the University of Helsinki, where she holds a visiting Professor position, long-term ecological data is collected to understand how species communities respond to (climate) changes. In addition, her research focuses on mechanisms stabilizing natural ecosystems to exploit them for sustainable and climate smart food production systems.