Steffen Kiel

Steffen Kiel is a senior curator at the Department of Palaeobiology at the Swedish Museum of Natural History. His area of ​​responsibility covers the Mesozoic and Cenozoic invertebrate collections, and he combines his curiosity with rigorous scientific scrutiny.

Steffen expresses his passion like this:

- The central part of my research revolves around the question 'What controls evolution on geological time scales?' I study molluscs to understand evolutionary patterns, utilizing a combination of geochemical, molecular biological and fossil data.

Steffen is also very active outside the walls of the museum. He leads the Swedish DiSSCo National Task Force and the SYNTHESYS+ Virtual Access program, and serves as an editor for several scientific journals.

Personal thoughts and passions

Steffen reflects on what drew him to research.

- My fascination with nature has always been a driving force, with sources of inspiration such as Albert Einstein during my younger years.

When asked what he enjoys most about his work, he replies, "the thrill of discovering the unknown."

Work memories that are close to his heart are field studies in remote parts of the world. His biggest ambition?

- In short: to explore the diversity of life.

And when science takes a break?

- I love diving from cliffs, reveals Steffen, which shows his adventurous side.