Rate My Professor Anders Hedenström

Anders Hedenström is Professor of Theoretical Ecology in the Department of Biology at Lund University, where he has served since 1995. He earned his PhD at Lund University on the ecology of bird flight under supervisor Thomas Alerstam, followed by postdoctoral research on insect flight at the University of Cambridge. Returning to Lund, he established a research program utilizing a dedicated wind tunnel for animal flight studies. He leads the Animal Flight Lab and Lund Migration Group, holds professorships in Evolutionary Ecology and Infection Biology, and manages the low turbulence wind tunnel facility in the Department of Biology. His career integrates biomechanics, ecology, and field observations through collaborations within CAnMove - Centre for Animal Movement Research.

Hedenström's research centers on the flight mechanics, energetics, and migration ecology of birds and bats. Employing state-of-the-art methods such as high-speed videography and particle image velocimetry, his lab examines wingbeat kinematics, wake vortices, and aerodynamic forces in flapping flight. Notable findings include the use of leading-edge vortices by bats for lift during slow flight, mirroring insect mechanisms. This laboratory work informs theoretical models and interpretations of wild animal migration strategies. With 163 peer-reviewed articles and over 19,000 citations, key publications include 'The development of bird migration theory' (Alerstam & Hedenström, Journal of Avian Biology, 1998), 'Optimum fuel loads in migratory birds: distinguishing between time and energy minimization' (Journal of Avian Biology, 1997), 'Aerodynamics, evolution and ecology of avian flight' (Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 2002), and recent works like 'Integrating flight mechanics, energetics and migration ecology in vertebrates' (Journal of Experimental Biology, 2025). He is principal investigator on Swedish Research Council and Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation projects exploring animal movement energetics and bird migration efficiency. Hedenström is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Class 6, biological sciences.