🎓 Education
Natalia Abramson graduated from Leningrad State University’s Faculty of Biology in 1982. She pursued postgraduate research at the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences from 1983 to 1986. In 1989, she defended her PhD thesis titled “True lemmings (Lemmini, Cricetidae, Rodentia): systematic position and evolution.” This work laid the foundation for her future contributions to rodent systematics and phylogeny. Her academic training combined classical zoological approaches with emerging molecular tools, giving her a unique edge in integrating traditional taxonomy with DNA-based analysis. 🎓🔬📚
🏗 Experience
Natalia Abramson has had a long and progressive career at ZIN RAS, Saint Petersburg. Since 1989, she has held multiple roles: researcher, senior researcher, and currently leading researcher. Between 2004–2018, she led molecular systematics teams within the Theriology Lab. From 2018 to 2021, she led a group focused on mammalian molecular systematics, and since 2021 she has headed the Laboratory of Evolutionary Genomics and Paleogenomics. Her leadership has advanced rodent phylogeny research in Russia and globally. She has also lectured on molecular systematics at Saint Petersburg University from 2011 to 2015. 🧪🔍🧬
🏆 Awards & Honors
Although specific awards are not listed, Natalia Abramson’s consistent leadership of national research grants such as RFBR and RSF, as well as her prominent role in key evolutionary projects, reflects her respected status in the Russian and international scientific community. Her participation in international journals, society memberships, and successful direction of major research projects underscores the academic esteem she commands. She has influenced the field of mammalian phylogenetics through decades of pioneering work. 🏆🧠📖
🔬 Research Focus
Abramson’s research spans evolutionary genomics, paleogenomics, molecular systematics, and phylogeography. She explores speciation, adaptation mechanisms, colonization history, and taxonomy of rodents, especially the subfamily Arvicolinae. Using both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, her work integrates paleontology, morphology, and molecular genetics to reconstruct mammalian evolutionary pathways. She is also active in decoding ancient DNA from museum specimens and inferring the evolutionary responses of species to climate change and habitat shifts. 🧬🌐🦠
🛠 Skills