Leading scientists will advise on scientific programs, support DDLS fellows and organize community events around evolution and biodiversity. “This work will be essential to alleviate one of the now most prominent bottlenecks of scientific discovery” says group member and SciLifeLab researcher Tanja Slotte.

Six members have been assigned to the Evolution and biodiversity research area specific expert group, including professor Fredrik Ronquist of the Swedish Museum of Natural History, who will have the coordinating role.

Other members are Christine Bacon, University of Gothenburg; Tanja Slotte, Stockholm University; Erik Svensson, Lund University; Matthew Webster, Uppsala University: and Courtney W Stairs, Lund University.

“I wanted to be part of this expert group because it allows me to contribute to an area of research that I really care about. Within the field of biodiversity and evolution, access to large-scale data sets is rapidly increasing. I view the DDLS programme as crucial for developing improved ways to more efficiently extract ecological and evolutionary information from new, large and complex data sets. This work will be essential to alleviate one of the now most prominent bottlenecks of scientific discovery – mining information from large data sets” says SciLifeLab group leader Tanja Slotte (Stockholm University).

The members, all leading scientists in their field, will advise on research area specific strategies and research profiles for the scientific programs of the SciLifeLab and Wallenberg National Program for Data-Driven Life Science (DDLS), suggest and co-organize activities and community events around evolution and biodiversity, and take part in evaluations by providing advice on the design of calls and the evaluation process. They will also advise and support the DDLS fellows, post docs and PhDs as well as acting as a specific national reference group for data services and training.

“In my view, building a research community around data-driven life science in biodiversity and evolution, by providing funding for recruiting, promoting increased exchange between researchers and ensuring access to infrastructure for large-scale computational work, should be an essential part of the DDLS programme in biodiversity and evolution. As a DDLS expert group member, I hope to contribute to these crucial aspects of the DDLS programme in evolution and biodiversity” says Tanja Slotte.

Want to learn more? Read the Q&A with professor Fredrik Ronquist of the Swedish Museum of Natural History, who will have the coordinating role.