Juraj Bergman’s current activities are focused on compiling a genomic-scale diversity dataset for over 500 mammal species, which serves as the foundation for his investigation into how species life history, ecology, environmental factors, and human impact influence patterns of genomic diversity. He broader aim is to extend this research to include non-mammalian species, providing insights into the genomic footprints of global ecosystem history and functioning. Additionally, he has a strong interest in developing models for inferring population genetic parameters, particularly using Bayesian approaches, and in studying the evolution of sex chromosomes.

Juraj Bergman's research contributes to a broader understanding of the long-term effects of human expansion on ecosystems and offers novel insights for future biodiversity conservation efforts.

Juraj Bergman – brief biography

Juraj Bergman obtained his PhD in Population Genetics from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna in 2018. During his doctoral studies, he developed population genetic models based on diffusion theory to infer selection coefficients and mutation rates. He applied these models to investigate genetic diversity in Drosophila fruit fly populations and various primate species.

Following his PhD, Juraj pursued a postdoctoral position at Aarhus University, where he focused on primate population genomics. His work involved analyzing the nucleotide composition of different mutation types in great apes and humans, with a particular emphasis on the evolutionary dynamics of the pseudoautosomal region of the sex chromosomes. This work led to a position as an assistant professor in the Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity at Aarhus University. There, he studied mammalian population genomics and macroecology, concentrating on the genomic diversity of large mammal species (megafauna) to investigate their population dynamics over the Pleistocene period.

Since 2019, Bergman has been teaching courses in population genetics, biogeography, macroecology, and the ecosystem roles of megafauna in the past, present, and future.

More information

Juraj Bergman
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics
Aarhus University
Denmark
jurajbergman@birc.au.dk