Curriculum vitae

Education

2007 PhD exam. Doctor of Philosophy in Ecology. Title of thesis: Seed Dormancy and Germination in an Ecological Context - Comparative Studies of Annual Weeds. Supervisor: Professor Per Milberg. PhD student for 80% of full time during five years. I was PhD student representative in the steering committee of IFM Biology, Linköping University, Sweden. During my PhD studies, I initiated and run a germination study of Papaver species with yearly changing seasons (Karlsson & Milberg 2007a); the study revealed an emergence patterns change in response to climate, which had been impossible to detect with traditional methods for germination studies. Further, I collected seeds of tropical weeds in Ethiopia, sat up a field germination study, and performed germination studies that explained various germination responses to seasonal changes (Karlsson et al. 2008).

2005 The Swedish Summer Institute for the Improvement of Teaching and Learning, given by the Swedish council for higher education. I had the privilege to be one of 20 participating university teachers, from a broad range of subjects, coming together for an intense summer seminar aiming at improving our pedagogic skill as a part of developing the Swedish higher education further.

2004 Pedagogy for teaching at universities. Basic course given by Linköping University.

2004 Att kommunicera med en bredare allmänhet (Communication with the public society). The course was given by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and included different ways of communication that were trained practically. Special studies of rhetoric and scientific journalism were included and held by professionals from the different fields.

2001 Master exam. Master of Science in Biology, branch of studies: Ecology and Environmental science. Studies at Linköping, Gothenburg and Umeå Universities, Sweden. Main field of study was ecology and environmental sciences, but I also included additional courses in geography and mathematics. The MSc thesis dealt with germination ecology of two tropical weedy species.

Positions

2008 08 11 – 2010 08 10 Postdoctoral position and 2010 08 11 – 2012 01 31 Scientist at Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and 2012 06 18 – present Associated scientist at IFM Biology, Linköping University, Sweden. I am mainly working with two scientific projects:

(i) Germination ecology of buds on rhizomes and roots of perennial weeds. This work is independent but connected to the work of a research group with four senior scientists (Docent Lars Andersson, SLU, Uppsala, Docent Ullalena Boström, SLU, Uppsala, Professor Inger Hakman, Linaeus University, Kalmar and Dr Abitew Lagibo Dalbato, SLU, Uppsala) and one PhD student (Josefine Liew, SLU, Uppsala). I presented the first results as oral presentation at the 15th EWRS symposium (July 2010), and three manuscripts are in preparation.

(ii) Early growth of performance of saplings and seedlings of the drought-tolerant Ethiopian staple crop enset, within the program "Formas-Sida Sustainable development in developing countries". I am project responsible, and other researchers involved are Dr Tamado Tana, Wolaita Sodo University, Ethiopia, and Dr Abitew Lagibo Dalbato, SLU, Uppsala. The project progresses as planned, and in addition we have revealed interesting germination characteristics for this important species; the first results were presented at the 2011 ISSS meeting (Karlsson et al. 2011).

In addition to research, I am also engaged in teaching as supervisor for master students in course projects and during final thesis work. I have been environmental coordinator for the department, member of the "co-operation group" (Swedish: samverkansgruppen) and member of the recruiting group with the commission to suggest candidates to the position as department head.

2007 09 10 – 2008 08 01 Assistant professor at Wolaita Sodo University, Ethiopia, employed by Ethiopian Ministry of Education, Addis Ababa. Course responsible and the only teacher for courses in botany, general ecology, range ecology, scientific writing, and research methods in animal and plant science. Developed a teaching material for courses aiming at research within natural sciences. Initiated a seminar series, covering reports of scientific studies as well at plans for future research, for MSc and PhD holders among the staff. Member of the research committee of Sodo University.

2007 04 18 – 2008 12 31 Postdoctoral association, without salary (Sw: "nollförordnande") at IFM Biology, Linköping University, Sweden. Continuation of seed germination studies, in addition to the work included in my PhD thesis, that I initiated during my PhD student period.

2002 04 15 – 2007 04 17 Teacher (20 % of full time, during PhD studies) at IFM Biology, Linköping University, Sweden. Teaching in ecology, botany, microbiology and statistics, covering all years of Master programs. Took part in course planning and examination. Improved course material for one basic botany course, one basic microbiology course, and developed teaching material for statistics within an advanced microbiology course. One of two supervisors for seven MSc students' exam work; most studying different aspects of early growth of weeds.

2002 01 01 – 2002 03 31 Technician at IFM Biology, Linköping University. Responsible for preparations of chemical solutions, growth of bacteria cultures, and germination and growth of plants to courses.

Until 1996 i.e. before complementing my education with basic natural science courses (Sw. "gymnasiekomplettering") and MSc studies: Positions at different photo and photographical development companies. Laboratory and administrative positions.

Referee for scientific journals

Participation in scientific meetings

7th International Workshop on Seed biology (International Society for Seed Science). Salamanca, Spain 2002.

Allocation, Plasticity and Allometry (Gesellschaft für Ökologie, Plant Population Biology Section). Copenhagen, Denmark 2003. Poster presentation: Variation in dormancy and germination of four weedy, co-occurring Papaver taxa.

Seedbanks: Determination, Dynamics and Management, Aspects of Applied Biology 69. Readings, England 2003. Poster presentation: Dormancy and germination of fresh seeds of four Papaver taxa.

Seed ecology – An international meeting on seeds and the environment. Rhodes, Greece 2004. Poster presentation: Germination and afterripening in the annuals Conyza bonariensis and Conyza canadensis (Asteraceae).

8th International Workshop on Seeds – Germinating New Ideas (International Society for Seed Science). Brisbane, Australia 2005. Oral presentation: To what extent can seed dormancy classification be used to predict seedling emergence pattern?

13th European Weed Research Society Symposium. Bari, Italy 2005. Oral presentation: Stepwise rather than cyclic dormancy changes explain emergence of the summer annuals Fumaria officinalis and Galeopsis speciosa.

Ecosystem services as a tool for production improvement in organic farming – the role and impact of biodiversity. Workshop origanized by SLU (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences) and FiBL (Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Switzerland). Frick, Switzerland 2005.

14th European Weed Research Society Symposium. Hamar, Norway 2007. Poster presentations: "Comparing seed dormancy patterns of 22 annual tropical weeds", and "Seed germination and dormancy of seedlots of Chenopodium album in different countries of Europe and North America".

4th International Symposium on Plant Dormancy, Fargo, U.S. 2009.

15th European Weed Research Society Symposium. Kaposvár, Hungary, 2010. Oral presentation: Germination and onset of shoot growth of root/rhizome buds of five perennial weeds. Poster presentation: Competition between grain sorghum and weeds during early growth along a water gradient.

10th Conference of the International Society for Seed Science - ISSS "Seed Science in the 21th Century", Costa do Sauípe, Brazil, 2011. Poster presentations: "Very slow germination, rather than dormancy, explains seedling emergence timing of Daphne mezereum in cold temperate climate", and "Seed morphology and fresh seed germination of 'false banana', Ensete ventricosum, (Musaceae)".