Kesara Margrét Anamthawat-Jónsson (publication name: Kesara Anamthawat-Jónsson) is étAnamthawatJóprofessor of botany and plant genetics at the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Iceland.
Education
Kesara was awarded an entry to the Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University. She completed the four-years programme in 1974, with a B.Sc. (Hons.) degree, Botany major, and during the graduation ceremony she received the Gold Medal Award from King Bhumibol Adulyadej Rama IX.
In 1976 Kesara received a Fulbright grant from the US Embassy in Thailand for graduate study at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Kansas. She studied botany with emphases on plant cytogenetics, systematics and evolution. She defended her Master's thesis and graduated with an MA degree in 1979.
In 1988, after having worked for several years as a researcher in Iceland, Kesara began her PhD studies on plant cytology and genetics at the School of Biological Sciences, University of Cambridge, Churchill College. Kesara received financial support for her PhD studies from the British Embassy in Reykjavík (the Chevening Scholarship), and the Overseas Fellowship from the UK Government. She also received an allowance as research assistant from BP Venture Research Programme. Kesara defended her thesis and graduated with a PhD in 1992.
Academic and research career
Kesara began her academic career as a lecturer at the Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, Chulalongkorn University (1973 – 1976), and later from 1979, after completing her Master's studies in the US, as assistant professor in the same department until she moved to Iceland in 1981. The courses she taught included General Botany, Plant Physiology and Cytogenetics. Upon her departure from Thailand, Kesara was honoured with „The Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant, Companion (Fourth Class)“(จัตุรถาภรณ์ช้างเผือก), in appreciation of her academic service to the country.
Her career in Iceland began in January 1982 at the Agricultural Research Institute in Keldnaholt in Reykjavik (now part of the Agricultural University of Iceland, until 1988 when she went to UK for her PhD studies. During her time at the institute, she established chromosome techniques for studying birch trees and various other Icelandic plant species. Kesara also received training abroad on two occasions: on plant chromosome preparation methods at the University of Helsinki and animal cytogenetics at the School of Veterinary Science, University of Guelph. After Kesara completed her PhD in UK, she came back to work as a research scientist at this institute (1992 – 1996), focussing on the genetics of birch trees, while initiating her own study of lyme grass in Iceland.
In 1996, Kesara received an appointment as lecturer at the Department of Biology, University of Iceland. She was appointed associate professor in 1997 and Professor from 1 January 1999. She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses, including Diversity of Life, Plant Physiology, Plant Genetics and Biotechnology, Cytogenetics and Tropical Biology. Kesara has been a graduate supervisor to twelve Master's and PhD students at the University of Iceland and from universities in Finland, Sweden and Thailand. Eight Master's PhD students are still working on their research projects under her supervision.
Genetic history of birch woodland in Iceland (1982 – present) The main focus of Kesara's research since she began her career in Iceland 37 years ago has been the genetics of Icelandic plants. She has made numerous discoveries in this field, the results of active collaboration with her students and colleagues in Iceland and abroad. Studying the genetics of Icelandic tree-birch or woodland birch species (Betula pubescens) particularly interests Kesara. This birch often has a shrub-like form, and her studies have shown that this is mostly due to introgressive hybridization with the co-existing dwarf birch species (Betula nana). Gene flow between the two species, via hybridization, is thought to have an evolutionary advantage, especially for species survival in the changing environment. Molecular genetic studies have confirmed this introgressive hybridization and have also indicated the multiple origin of Icelandic birch. The studies of subfossil pollen from lake sediments have detected birch hybridization throughout the Holocene. The climate warming, e.g., during the Holocene Thermal Maximum, was found to coincide with peaks of hybridization between the two birch species in Iceland. Kesara has also studied other tree species, including aspen, rowan and willow.