Evolutionary biologist Frederic Lens has been appointed Professor of ‘Biodiversity and Anatomy of Plants’ at Leiden University, effective March 1.
Evolutionin plants
If you visit the Canary Islands, you will encounter relatives of familiar species that look remarkably woodier than their mainland counterparts. Daisy shrubs, dandelion trees, sorrel with woody twigs, and cabbage varieties with thick trunks, to name a few. They have all transitioned to woodiness from non-woody ancestors that originally blew over from the European continent. What makes this remarkable is that this evolutionary transition to woodiness has occurred independently hundreds of times, both on islands and across continents. Why? How? And why do some plant families seem to achieve this more easily than others?
Answering these questions is not only useful for plant breeders but also deepens our understanding of how plants adapt and how evolution works. This is the field of researcher Prof. Dr. Frederic Lens. He is affiliated with Naturalis Biodiversity Center and the Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL) at Leiden University—the latter as Professor of ‘Biodiversity and Anatomy of Plants’ as of March 1.
Buildingbridges
In addition to his professorship, Lens will remain a group leader at Naturalis. By combining these roles, he serves as a bridge between two closely collaborating organizations. Furthermore, he is the founder and scientific coordinator of the Leiden Biodiversity Network, a partnership between Leiden-based biodiversity experts, local nature organizations, and the Municipality of Leiden.
Urban Natureexpedition
Beyond fostering academic collaborations between scientists at Leiden University, Naturalis, and Leiden University of Applied Sciences, his most prominent initiative to date is Expeditie Stadsnatuur Leiden (Leiden Urban Nature Expedition). During this project, local citizens and scientists worked together to map over 2,200 species within the city. The initiative will return from May 1 to June 30, 2026, expanding to include neighboring municipalities.
"Biodiversity research is pre-eminently a field where scientists and non-scientists can strengthen one another," says Lens. "This is vital because nature is indispensable to humanity, especially in our increasingly urbanized environment. We hope that in the coming years, the Urban Nature Expeditions can grow into a broader regional event that brings people closer to nature."
Wood researchfor conservation
One of the major research projects Lens aims to expand in the coming years involves developing and scaling techniques to quickly detect illegally logged wood in the thousands of containers entering the Port of Rotterdam.
"By accelerating wood identification, we can assist customs officers in their fight against illegal logging, which ranks as the third-largest transnational crime after drug trafficking and the trade in counterfeit goods," Lens explains. His expertise, combined with Naturalis’ massive wood collection—125,000 specimens, one of the largest in the world—makes this research possible.
A welcomeappointment
Prof. Dr. Hubertus Irth, Scientific Director of the IBL, is delighted with the appointment: "This professorship is a wonderful recognition of Professor Lens' academic work and his years of dedication. We are thrilled that Frederic is joining the research team within our Plant Research cluster. Naturally, we hope this appointment will further deepen the collaboration and the ties between IBL and Naturalis."
Maaike van de Kamp-Romijn, Sector Director of Research & Education at Naturalis, shares this sentiment: "Naturalis Biodiversity Center is a research institution with professors at all Dutch universities involved in biodiversity research. Historically and geographically, IBL is closest to us, and we maintain a close partnership in both research and education. This appointment will only make that bond stronger."
Moreinformation
- Prof. dr. Lens' profile page at Naturalis.nl
- His profile page with Leiden University.
- More about the botanical collection at Naturalis.