Dr. Elmira Mohandesan | Ancient DNA | Best Researcher Award
Senior Scientist | University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna | Austria
Elmira Mohandesan is a Senior Scientist and Head of the Genetics Lab at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, specializing in population genomics, phylogenetics, and animal domestication with a strong focus on ancient DNA research across diverse taxa including primates, carnivores, reptiles, and ungulates, she has established herself as an international expert leading pioneering projects that combine molecular biology, bioinformatics, archaeology, and evolutionary genetics to reveal long-term genetic changes, domestication processes, and human-animal interactions, as principal investigator she directs multiple research initiatives supported by the Austrian Science Fund and has contributed extensively to advancing understanding of equine palaeogenomics, camelid evolution, and human migration, in addition to her research she leads a genetics laboratory where she advises scientists, supervises doctoral candidates, teaches graduate courses, and fosters interdisciplinary collaborations across Europe, New Zealand, and beyond, her career reflects a consistent dedication to advancing scientific knowledge in evolutionary biology and ancient genomics.
Profile
Scopus
Education
Elmira Mohandesan holds a PhD in Molecular Evolution and Genetics from Massey University in New Zealand where she focused on evolutionary genomics and developed expertise in molecular biology and statistical genetics, prior to that she completed a Master of Science in Molecular Genetics at Tarbiat Modarres University in Tehran where she concentrated on genetic analysis and laboratory-based research on DNA and molecular markers, she began her academic path with a Bachelor of Science in Zoology from Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran where she built a foundation in animal biology, evolutionary theory, and population studies, across her academic training she gained extensive laboratory skills in molecular methods, developed strong analytical capacities in bioinformatics, and expanded her research scope to integrate evolutionary biology, conservation genetics, and ancient DNA, her education provided a multidisciplinary grounding that enabled her to move seamlessly into postdoctoral research and later into leadership roles in palaeogenomics and population genetics.
Professional Experience
Elmira Mohandesan is Principal Investigator at the University of Vienna where she leads research in evolutionary anthropology and palaeogenomics while also heading the Genetics Lab at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, her previous appointments include postdoctoral research positions at the University of Vienna in molecular evolution and cognitive biology, and at the University of Veterinary Medicine in population genetics and wildlife ecology where she worked with leading experts in evolutionary genetics, she also gained research experience at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig focusing on ancient DNA methodologies and comparative genomics, her teaching career began as a teaching assistant at Massey University where she taught evolutionary biology and genetics, across these roles she has consistently combined molecular techniques with evolutionary theory, successfully managed international collaborations, supervised doctoral students, and contributed to advancing genomic research on species domestication, ancient population structures, and conservation biology.
Awards and Honors
Elmira Mohandesan has been recognized with several prestigious awards and honors throughout her academic career including first prize in the Life Science Photo Contest “Pictures of the Life Sciences” at the University of Vienna for her striking image capturing feral horses in the wild, earlier she received the first prize in the Design and Journalistic Award at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna for outstanding science communication, during her doctoral studies she was awarded the Allan Wilson Institute Doctoral Scholarship at Massey University as well as a PhD Completion Scholarship from the Institute of Molecular Biosciences, she also received travel awards to participate in advanced statistical genetics training in Seattle and scholarships from the Max Planck Institute for research in evolutionary anthropology, her academic achievements began with ranking third in the Iranian national examination for the Master of Science in Genetics and graduating with honors for academic excellence in zoology.
Research Focus
Elmira Mohandesan’s research focuses on population genomics, phylogenetics, and animal domestication with an emphasis on ancient DNA analysis to trace genetic changes over time and reconstruct evolutionary histories, she applies a multidisciplinary approach integrating molecular biology, archaeology, morphology, and computational genomics to explore how domestication, hybridization, and migration have shaped animal and human populations, her work spans diverse taxa including primates, carnivores, reptiles, and ungulates with significant contributions to the understanding of camelid evolution, tuatara divergence, cave bear genetics, and particularly equine palaeogenomics where she has revealed insights into Roman breeding practices and the origins of feral horse populations in New Zealand, she also investigates ancient human migrations in Central Europe, in her lab she develops genomic tools, evaluates methodologies for species identification, and guides collaborative projects, her research ultimately seeks to advance evolutionary theory while contributing practical knowledge for conservation, domestication studies, and interdisciplinary archaeological genetics.
Publication
Title: Late Iron Age and Roman equine breeding north of the Alps: Genetic insights and cultural implications
Year: 2025
Title: Unraveling Genome- and Immunome-wide Genetic Diversity in Jaguars (Panthera onca): Implications for Targeted Conservation
Year: 2024
Title: Predictive use of modern reference osteological collections for disentangling the shape of Eurasian equid cheek teeth and metapodials in archaeological material
Year: 2023
Title: Reconstruction of the Major Maternal and Paternal Lineages in the Feral New Zealand Kaimanawa Horses
Year: 2022
Title: Genomic signatures of domestication in Old World camels
Year: 2020
Conclusion
Elmira Mohandesan is highly suitable for a “Distinguished Researcher Award in Evolutionary Genomics and Ancient DNA Studies.” Her pioneering work, outstanding academic achievements, and commitment to interdisciplinary science make her an exceptional candidate whose contributions continue to shape the understanding of animal domestication, ancient human migrations, and evolutionary processes.