Prof. Dr. Thomas Borsch

Thomas Borsch
phone 
+49 30 838 50133
fax 
+49 30 838-4 50133
email 
t.borsch@bo.berlin
Botanischer Garten Berlin
Freie Universität Berlin
Königin-Luise-Straße 6-8
14195
Berlin
Germany
Tasks 
Director General of the Botanic Garden Berlin
Professor for Plant Systematics and Plant Geography, Freie Universität Berlin
Leading the Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin, science and science policy work
Curriculum vitae 
Place and
year of birth
Königstein im Taunus, 18th February 1969
Nationality German

Education

2005 Habilitation, Friedrich-Wilhelms Universität Bonn
2000 Dr. rer. nat., Friedrich-Wilhelms Universität Bonn
1996 Diplom, Friedrich-Wilhelms Universität Bonn

Academic and professional career

2008 - present Professor (W3) for Plant Systematics and Plant Geography and Director of the Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum Berlin (BGBM), Freie Universität Berlin
2007 - 2008 Professor (W2) for Biodiversity and Evolution of plants, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Director of the Botanic Garden of the Universität Oldenburg
2005 - 2007 Privatdozent, Nees Institute, Head of the laboratories of molecular systematics
2000 - 2005 Scientific Assistant (C1), Nees Institute, Universität Bonn
1999 - 2000 Research Assistant, Botanisches Institut, Universität Bonn
1992 - 1994 Research Assistant (part-time), Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, Frankfurt

Publications

95 publications in peer-reviewed indexed journals (h index: 44, citations 7573 {google scholar})
10 book chapters and monographs
Various publications in periodicals addressing a general audience

Research interests 

Evolution of flowering plants, phylogenetics and phylogenomics, integrative plant taxonomy, biogeography, workflows and standards to use natural history collections in research and education; Conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity; International collaboration and partnership.

Research projects 
  • BMBF, ColBioDiv – Integrated Biodiversity Management in Exemplar Regions of Colombia (2017 – 2020): PI together with Co‑PIs B. Schütt (Geography FU Berlin) and M. Braig (Political Sciences FU Berlin)
  • BMBF, EvoBoGa – Pflanzensammlungen Botanischer Gärten: Lebendige Ressourcen für die Integrative Evolutionsforschung (2017-2020): PI together with Co-PIs M. Koch (Universität Heidelberg) und G. Zizka (Forschungsinstut Senckenberg)
  • BMBF GBOL I and II (German Barcode of Life) (2012 – 2019): Co‑PI for flowering plants and BGBM participation
  • BMUB, ABS – Access & Benefit Sharing: Bewusstseinsbildung bei Nutzern genetischer Ressourcen in Deutschland und Beratung der zuständigen Behörde für den Vollzug von EU-Verordnung 511/2014 (2015-2016)
  • DFG Normalverfahren (verschiedene Projekte)
  • VolkswagenStiftung – Developing Tools for the Conservation of Plant Diversity in the South Caucasus (Phases I and II, 2010-2019): PI from the German side (together with partners in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia)
Honours and awards 
2007 - present: Referee, Commission for Botany, Akademie der Literatur und der Wissenschaften, Mainz
2006-2007 Scholarship Heisenberg, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
1997-1999 Scholarship Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes
1987 “Jugend forscht” 2. Bundespreis in Biologie
Editorships 
2015 – present: Editoral Advisory Board: Revista del Jardín Botánico Nacional; La Habana, Cuba
2007 – present: Editoral Advisory Board: Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad
2009 – 2014: Associate Editor: Journal of Systematics and Evolution
2008 – present: Editoral Board: Willdenowia
Mandates in scientific advisory boards and committees 
Deutsche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen als integrierte Forschungsinfrastruktur (DCOLL) (member of the presidium)
World Flora Online, Taxonomic Working Group (co-chair)
Berlin Centre for Genomics in Biodiversity Research (BeGenDiv) (Vice Speaker)
Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI, International Advisory Board, member)
Flora of Greece (Steering Committee, member)
Netherlands Center for Biodiversity Naturalis (Scientific Advisory Board)
Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities (CETAF), (Board of directors)
Dahlem Center of Plant Sciences (DCPS), Deputy Speaker
European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy (EDIT), (Board of directors)
Memberships in scientific societies 
American Society of Plant Taxonomists
Botanical Society of America
Deutsche Botanische Gesellschaft
Gesellschaft für Biologische Systematik
International Association for Plant Taxonomy
International Organisation of Systematics and Evolutionary Biology (President 2009-2011)
Sociedad Mexicana de Botánica
Sociedad Cubana de Botánica (corresponding member)