Lena Struwe

Curriculum vitae

Positions held

2001-present     Assistant Professor, Dept. of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, & Dept. of Plant Biology and Pathology, Rutgers University - Cook College, New Brunswick, NJ.

1998-2001         Research Associate, The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Program for Molecular Systematics Studies, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY.

1995-1998         Laboratory Manager, Harding and Lieberman Laboratories, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY.

1995-1996         Senior Editor, Brittonia, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY.

1991-1995         Teaching and Computer Assistant, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.

1989-1990         Museum Assistant, Regnellian Herbarium, Department of Phanerogamic Botany, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden (Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet).

Research interests

Evolutionary history, diversity, and biogeography of angiosperms, especially gentians (Gentianaceae) and relatives; floral anatomy and development; ethnobotany, conservation of plant biodiversity; tropical biogeography.

Education

Ph.D. (Filosofie doktorsexamen) in Systematic Botany, Department of Botany, Stockholm University,  1999.

B.Sc. (Filosofie kandidatexamen) in Biology and Earth Sciences, Stockholm University, 1991.

Selected Grants and awards

NIH-ICBG, International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups, “Building New Pharmaceutical Capabilities in Central Asia”, $3.8 million (Co-PI as Associate Program Leader for Biodiversity, Bioinformatics and Training Associate Program; 2003-2008)

NSF: DEB, Systematic Biology, “Phylogeny and biogeography of the neotropical tribe Helieae (Gentianaceae)”, (July 2003-June 2006).

Rutgers University Research Council grant, “Molecular systematics of the anti-malarial plant Tachia (Gentianaceae)”, $4900 (Aug 2003 – May 2004)

Rutgers University, HATCH grant (USDA): Molecular phylogenetics, biodiversity, and biogeography of plants in the American tropics (2002 - 2007).

Publications and abstracts, see separate page

Teaching (see separate page)

Selected  Memberships, appointments, etc.

Associate Program Leader for Biodiversity, Bioinformatics and Training Associate Program, ICBG-Central Asia Project, Rutgers University, 2003-present.

Director, Chrysler Herbarium, Rutgers University, 2002-present.

Honorary Curator, The New York Botanical Garden, 2003-present.

Adjunct Research Scientist, Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Adjunct Researcher, Stockholm University, 1999-present.

Elected Fellow, Willi Hennig Society

Founder and webmaster, Gentian Research Network

Coordinator, Population and Organismal Track, Plant Biology Graduate Program, 2003-present.

Member, Faculty of the Graduate School-New Brunswick, Rutgers University, Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolution & Graduate Program in Plant Biology, 2002-present

Elected At-large Member, Executive Council of Ecology & Evolution Graduate Program, Rutgers University, 2002-present.

Field experience

Brazil, Ecuador, Hawaii, Norway, Puerto Rico, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania, and Turkey.

Selected invited lectures and presented papers

“Bioprospecting in the age of phylogenetic trees: influence of evolutionary data on evaluation of natural products.” (with S. Eisenman & M. Tadych, poster). ICBG Network meeting, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 14-15 October 2004.

“Bioinformatics in biodiversity and natural product discovery: standardization of data collection” (with M. Tadych and James F. White, Jr., poster). ICBG Network meeting, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 14-15 October 2004.

“ The flora of the Lost Worlds”, Utrecht University, The Netherlands, 19 April 2004.

““Evolution and geographic patterns in flowering plants in northern South America – an example from Gentianaceae”, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil, 8 July 2003.

“Collaborative research possibilities with scientists at Cook College – Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA – a state university with natural products, agricultural, and environmental programs”, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil, 11 July 2003.

“Biogeography of white sands, tepuis, and the high Andes: examples from the Gentianaceae” University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland, 25 May 2001.

“Evolution and biogeography of tropical gentians”, British Museum, London, UK, 16 Jan 2001.