Eske Willerslev Biography: Books, Awards, Height, Ethnicity, Wife, Age, Religion, Net Worth

Eske Willerslev is a Danish evolutionary geneticist known for pushing ancient DNA and environmental DNA from niche methods into headline science.

He became widely recognized for research that helped rewrite parts of human history and migration using genetic material recovered from bones, teeth, and even sediments, and for showing that DNA can be tracked directly from environmental samples.

Over time, his work also reached far beyond academia through public talks and books, helped along by a string of major international awards that placed him among the most visible Nordic scientists of his generation.

Profile

• Full name: Eske Willerslev
• Date of birth: 5 June 1971
• Age: 54 years old
• Gender: Male
• Place of birth: Gentofte, Denmark
• Nationality: Danish
• Profession: Evolutionary geneticist, professor
• Parents: Richard Willerslev (father); Lona Loell Willerslev (mother)
• Siblings: Rane Willerslev (identical twin brother); Anne Willerslev (sister)
• Spouse: Ulrikke Ji Mee Willerslev
• Children: Rasken Willerslev,Bror Willerslev
• Relationship status: Married
• Religion: Christian
• Ethnicity: Danish
• Net worth: $3.0 million

Early Life and Education

Eske Willerslev is now, at the age of 54, and he was born on 5 June 1971 in Gentofte, north of Copenhagen. His identical twin brother is anthropologist Rane Willerslev. Their parents are Richard Willerslev and Lona Loell Willerslev, and Willerslev also has a sister named Anne.

In his teens he attended Ordrup Gymnasium. His later training was anchored at the University of Copenhagen, where he completed advanced research credentials, eventually receiving a Doctor of Science (DSc) degree in 2004, following work that connected to ancient DNA recovery and analysis.

He spent part of his youth as an explorer and fur trapper in Siberia, an experience that later became part of the public story around how he approached fieldwork and scientific risk.

Personal Life

Eske Willerslev married Ulrikke Ji Mee Willerslev in 2007. They have two sons, Rasken Willerslev and Bror Willerslev, and the family has been associated with Kongens Lyngby in Denmark.

Career

Eske Willerslev’s career is closely tied to the rise of ancient genomics and environmental DNA into widely used scientific tools. In his University of Copenhagen profile, he is described as holding a Lundbeck Foundation Professorship and leading the Centre of Excellence in GeoGenetics, alongside a senior role at the University of Cambridge as Prince Philip Professor of Ecology and Evolution within the Department of Genetics.

His research reputation rests on multiple “firsts” and on scale. Professional summaries from the University of Copenhagen highlight his role in establishing approaches that recover DNA directly from environmental samples, and in leading work that pushed ancient human genome research forward.

Several projects also placed him at the intersection of science, public interest, and cultural history. One example frequently referenced in discussions of research ethics was the analysis of Kennewick Man, a set of remains at the center of long-running legal and cultural disputes in the United States.

In addition to human ancestry and migration studies, Willerslev’s group has applied ancient and environmental DNA to reconstruct long-lost ecosystems, including work described by the University of Copenhagen as involving DNA up to around 2 million years old from Greenland sediments.

Awards

• Albert Einstein World Award of Science (2024)
• Balzan Prize for Evolution of Humankind: Ancient DNA and Human Evolution (2023)
• Carlsberg Foundation Research Prize (2021)
• Olav Thon Foundation’s International Research Award (2021)
• Novozymes Prize, Novo Nordisk Foundation (2020)
• Rosenkjær Award (Rosenkjærprisen) (2012)
• Research Communication Award, Danish ministry (2011)
• EliteForsk Prize (2011)
• Order of the Dannebrog (2017)

Net Worth

Eske Willerslev’s current net worth is estimated at $3.0 million. This estimate is based on his long-term senior university appointments, leadership roles in major research centers, paid speaking and media work.

Social Media

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Books

• Historien om det hele (2016)
• Det er et fucking eventyr! (2022)
• Eske Willerslev fortæller om kloge neandertalere, alienkranier og syge vikinger: En bog om evolution for børn (2022)
• Jagten på verdens ældste DNA (2023)