Biography
Maarja has served as a member of New Phytologist's editorial board since 2013 and is a professor of Molecular Ecology and Director of the Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences at the Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of Tartu, Estonia.
Maarja's research addresses the interactions between plants and mycorrhizal fungi, with specific focus on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity patterns. Maarja pioneered one of the first public databases in the field, MaarjAM (Öpik et al., 2010), which is now widely used as a tool for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal identification and in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus ecological research.
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Our annual New Phytologist Editor-in-Chief Symposium was held on Friday, 3 July 2026, at the University of Tartu, home institution of New Phytologist’s Editor-in-Chief, Maarja Öpik.
Thank you to all who attended and contributed towards the success of the symposium.