Professor Rune Dietz (RDI), DSc, MSc, RDI has worked 40 years with contaminants andmarine mammals and other trophic levels. RDI has extensive Arctic fieldexperience over the last 38 years and has been involved with satellite trackingof marine mammals during the last 30 years. RDI has since 1996 been appointedLead Country Expert for AMAP (Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme) intheir International Assessments on Effects and climate related effects fromHeavy Metals, Mercury and POPs. RDI has been responsible for a large part ofthe samples stored in AU Department of Bioscience’s Arctic Sampling Bank, whichwas initiated more than 35 years ago. In the later years examination ofhistoric samples has revealed the temporal trends of Mercury in polar bears andother top predators before the industrial revolution (>150 years). RDI haspublished results on all contaminant groups including conventional POPs,brominated flame retardants and perflourinated compounds covering more thanthree decades in e.g. polar bears and ringed seals. Since 1999, the contaminantwork has been linked with effect studies from the Arctic regions, which are thelongest lasting Arctic effect studies. RDI was also responsible for thecontrolled effect study on sledge dogs, where the effects of contaminants fromthe Greenlandic food were investigated. Within the Arctic Research Center (ARC)RDI has become responsible for combining wildlife and human health inGreenland. The biological effect work deals with the cross-field of biologicaleffects from exposure to environmental chemicals, diseases and climate change.We have worked with internal and reproductive organs (histopathology, size, andmorphology), skeletal system (bone density and morphology using e.g. DXAscanning), immune system (intra dermal testing of lymphocyte functioning,immune globulin production and cytokine and APP expressions), endocrine system(steroid and peptide hormones), PBPK modelling and blood biochemistry. Latelywe have been working and succeeded to evaluate the population effect of e.g.worldwide effects on killer whale populations. Zoonotic diseases are becomingof larger importance over the latest years e.g. through the work under ZORRO.RDI has been leading a large number of projects supported by the DanishMinistry of Environment, EU, Villum Kahn Foundation, Carlsberg Foundation,National Science Foundation, Lundbeck Foundation, Nordic Council, DANCEA(Danish Cooperation for Environment in the Arctic), Commission for ScientificResearch in Greenland, Greenland Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum, GreenlandInstitute of Natural Resources, Prince Albert II Foundation, The Arctic Centre,Aarhus University, Loro Parque Foundation as well as been Co-PI andcollaborator on many additional projects with support for additional fundingagencies. From 2017 to 2020 RDI was PI on an EU BONUS project BaltHealthcovering the Baltic and adjacent waters.  I have an extensive collaboration with science colleagues around the World, of which I have published scientific work with more than 200 colleagues. I am or have been supervisor, co-supervisor and coauthored with around 50 Masters and PhD students and Post Docs in Denmark, Norway, Germany, Canada and USA.

Education and degrees:

May 2008 Natural Scientific Doctoral degree (DSc) from the Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen.
Aug 1981 Graduated from the University of Copenhagen (Cand. Scient. Biology).

As of September 2020, I have published and submitted 387 (and a similar number of reports and conference contributions) of which some 313 publications are found at Researcher Id /ISI/WoS, which has received 10,372 citations (8,333 without self citations) with an average of 33.1 citations per article. ISI/WoS H-index: 54, as of November 2020. 629 publications are found in Google Scholar, which has received 15,907 citations with an average of 25.1 citations per article. Google Scholar H-index: 70. As of September 2020, 455 publications are found at ResearchGate (Publications: 372) with an RG-score of 47.41, 73,073 reads, 13,302 citations. ResearchGate H-index: 63. A selection of 547 scientific product are available at the AU home page: https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/rune-dietz(86cb72ef-d48d-4395-94ee-b1c0bc3e33b5)/publications.html