Viktor Baranov
I am a Ramon y Cajal junior group leader at the Estación Biológica de Doñana in Sevilla. My work group deals with the aquatic palaeobiology and causes and consequences of the insects decline.
In 2014 I came to Germany to start a Marie Curie-FP7 funded PhD in Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology, within the INTERFACES project, and I am living in Germany ever since. In 2017 I have graduated with the degree of doctor of natural science (Dr. Rer. Nat.) from Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Humboldt University of Berlin, dealing with the ecological functions of the Diptera larvae in the European lakes. After that, I have done a postdoc in the Senckenberg Museum (Gelnhausen). After that postdoc, I have spent 4.5-year in the Ludwig Maximillian University of Munich, working as a postdoc in the Prof. Joachim T. Haug's lab.
Currently I am starting a new exciting chapter in my reseach career, as an Ramon y Cajal tenure-track-fellow at Estación Biológica de Doñana, in Seville, Spain. My working group will focus on the palaeocology of wetlands, and human impact on these fragile ecosystems.
I enjoy working in the museum collections, discovering treasure buried in the endless shelfs, sometimes forgotten for hundreds of years.
Academic career
2023 – 2027 Junior group leader (Ramon y Cajal fellow), Doñana Biological Station-CSIC, Seville, Spain
2018 - 2022 Postdoc, Biocentre, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
2017 - 2018 Postdoc, Division of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Museum and Institute of Biodiversity, Gelnhausen, Germany
2014 - 2017 Marie-Curie early career researcher, Marie-Curie early career researcher, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
2012 - 2014 Lecturer, School of Biology, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv, Ukraine
Education
2017 PhD in Geography: “Influence of bioturbation on sediment respiration in advection and diffusion dominated systems”, Magna Cum Laude, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Geography, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany; PhD supervisors: Jörg Lewandowski (IGB-Berlin), Stefan Krause, University of Birmingham.
2012 Master in Zoology and Animal Ecology; School of Biology, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv, Ukraine.
2011 Bachelor in Biology, School of Biology, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv, Ukraine
Funding
Programa QUALIFICA: QUAL21-020 EBD Ayudas para el fortalecimiento de entidades del sistema andaluz de I+D+i, travel grant, EUR 2065. PI.
Ramon y Cajal tenure track fellowship (by Agencia Estatal de Investigación/ from Next Generation EU Fund) (Grant number RYC2021-032144-I), EUR 236, 350. PI.
HORIZON EUROPE, Initial Training Network, Integrated Cross-Sectoral Solutions to Micro- and Nanoplastic Pollution in Soil and Groundwater Ecosystems (CORDIS grant number 101072777), EUR 260,539 to my subproject (from total EUR 2,489,724). PI.
“Understanding multiple losses and re-acquisitions of blood feeding in non-biting midges”, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich LMU Excellent, Germany, Dr. Viktor Baranov (PI), LMU, February-November 2022, 10,000 EUR. PI.
“GBOL III: Dark Taxa SNSB-ZSM: (Big Data) für Metabarcoding-basiertes Biomonitoring”. Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany. Prof. Gerhard Haszprunar (PI), ZSM, July 2020 – June 2023,1,397,083 EUR. PhD co-supervisor.
“Scanning the past - Reconstructing the diversity in million years old fossil amber specimens”, DESY Hamburg, Germany, Dr. Jörg Hammel (PI), DESY/ HEREON, 2019-2020, in kind contribution of synchrotron beamtime, researcher.
“Aquatic fossil insects of the NSW highlands”, Australian Museum Research Institute, Collection Visiting Fellowship, Australia, Dr. Viktor Baranov (PI), LMU, February-March 2020, 3382 EUR (6287 AUD), PI.
“Long peace of the Caribbean – testing deep-time stability of the Caribbean forest ecosystems”. Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany-Dominican Republic LMU Excellent, Dr. Viktor Baranov (PI), LMU, July 2019 - December 2020, 10,000 EUR, PI.
“Establishing fossil insects as proxies for paleoclimates” Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich LMU Excellent, Germany, Dr. Viktor Baranov (PI), LMU, July 2019 - December 2020, 40,000 EUR. PI.
“Chironomidae flies of Namibia”. Systematic research fund, Linnean Society, Dr. Viktor Baranov (PI), LMU, UK-Namibia, November 2018 - December 2018, EUR 1150. PI.
“Marie Curie Micro Grants”. Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (Brussels, BE), Organization of workshops on R programming environment and academic funding for early career researchers at V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv, Ukraine, November 2017, EUR 300.
Conference Participation Fund (CPF) Grants. Royal Entomological Society (London, GB), Dr. Viktor Baranov (PI), Attendance of 5th Nereis Park Bioturbation congress, at Stoney Brook University, NY, USA, GBP 450.
“Non-biting midges (Diptera; Chironomidae) of the Faroe Islands: fauna and taxonomy”, Ernst Mayr Grant in Animal Systematics, Viktor Baranov (PI), Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Fieldwork at Faroe Islands (Denmark), August 2014, 1000 USD. PI.
“Diversity of aquatic insects of Crimean peninsula, Ukraine”, SIL, The Tonolli Memorial Fund, Viktor Baranov (PI), Kharkiv National University, Ukraine, January-December 2013, 1000 USD. PI.
“Underestimated groups of non-biting midges (Diptera, Chironomidae) in Bergen University Museum collection”, SIL, Ernst Mayr Grant in Animal Systematics, Viktor Baranov (PI), Kharkiv National University, Ukraine, collection work in Bergen University Museum, Norway, September-October 2012, 1000 USD. PI.
Travel grant for 18th International Symposium on Chironomidae, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Viktor Baranov (PI), Kharkiv National University, Ukraine, attendance of 18th International Symposium on Chironomidae July 2011, NOK 5000.
Peer Recognition
2024 August Friedrich Thienemann invited lecture at the 22nd International Chironomidae Symposium, Nis, Serbia: I am invited to give a plenary August Friedrich Thienemann Lecture, at the opening of the 22nd Chironomidae symposium, a recognition of career achievements and field impact in aquatic entomology.
2017 Best Early Career Talk at 20th International Symposium on Chironomidae, EUR 500: This prize recognized my early career contributions to the Diptera palaeontology before and during my PhD.
2014 Best Student Talk, Fourth Nereis Park Conference: Plymouth Marine Laboratory (UK)
Hobbies and interests
I am enjoying cycling, being outdoors, photographing wildlife, especially insects, reptiles and amphibians. I am also a life-long fan of Star Wars and science fiction in generally.