Professor Eske Willerslev, Professor of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Copenhagen and Prince Philip Professor at the University of Cambridge, has been selected as the winner of the Albert Einstein World Award of Science 2024.
The prize is granted in recognition of the numerous breakthroughs in evolutionary genetics Prof. Willerslev’s has made during his highly fruitful career. The award recognizes his pioneering contributions in establishing the field of Environmental DNA and the sequencing of ancient DNA to track the origins and interactions of human population groups.
During his doctoral studies, Prof. Willerslev published his research demonstrating how modern and ancient DNA from birds, mammals and diverse plants can be directly obtained from environmental samples. His work has allowed for highly detailed reconstruction of ancient marine and land ecosystems from microbes to plants and vertebrates. He recently published in Nature the reconstruction of a 2-million-year-old ecosystem from Greenland.
The sequencing of ancient human genomes was thought impossible until Prof. Willerslev found a way to do this. His numerous studies on the subject have helped rewrite human history from the origins of Native Americans and Aboriginal Australians through to the peopling of Europe and Asia. One byproduct of this is the ability to follow the spread of disease risk and comprehend how it differs among peoples. His group’s discovery that pathogen DNA can be obtained from ancient teeth has changed our understanding of the evolution and spread of diseases such as the plague, hepatitis B and smallpox.
The World Cultural Council jury highlighted Willerslev’s openness with his research results, which he shares with broad segments of society. He is known to be an active and engaging speaker, who promotes science to the public through debate, documentaries, radio, TV, and magazine interviews. He has written various books on science for lay readers of all ages, which are best-sellers in Denmark and will soon be available in English. He has also promoted the next generation of scientists within and outside his research group, mentoring award-winning researchers and launching new Centres of Excellence. The town of Horsholm (Denmark) has a bronze statue of him in recognition of his work promoting education and research.
His discoveries have borne sway on scientists’ approach to Indigenous communities, and even the US Repatriation Law. Respecting Indigenous communities, he has worked alongside Indigenous Peoples and his findings have resulted in the repatriation of various human remains to their rightful descendants including the highly debated Kennewick Man skeleton (The Ancient One) and The Spirit Cave Man mummy. Willerslev is an adopted member of the Crow (Apsáalooke) federally recognized tribe of Montana.
Professor Willerslev has been awarded numerous honorary doctorates and accolades, including Foreign Associate of the United States National Academy of Sciences, and Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization. His research is published in the most prestigious journals and includes more than 60 publications in Nature and Science. He is one of the Web of Science’s most cited researchers, in the top 1% of his field.
To sum up, Prof. Willerslev has produced a rich, diverse catalogue of prehistoric human genetics. His work has broad scientific impact, forcing us to rethink the origins and evolution of human groups, languages, and behaviour, while causing ripples in fields as diverse as medicine, ecology, archaeology, and climate science.
Professor Eske Willerslev’s dedication to education is outstanding, not only as an ambassador for modern science but also as an international role model to younger scientists, exhorting them to pursue science with integrity and for practical societal impact. He is considered a natural, energizing, and motivating leader.
Albert Einstein World Award of Science 2024
