Telephone number: +386 (0)59 23 27 09 Email: matjaz.kuntner@nib.si Department: Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research
EDUCATION
B.S. (Biology), University of Ljubljana, Slovenia (1998)
PH.D. (Biology), George Washington University, USA (2005)
TITLES
Research Counselor (2017), National Institute of Biology
Associate Professor in Zoology (2017-2022), University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Visiting Professor (2017-2022), Hubei University, China
Research Counselor (2016), ZRC SAZU
Research Associate (2005-today), Smithsonian Institution, USA
EMPLOYMENT
National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia (2017)
Biological Institute Jovan Hadži at ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana, Slovenia (1999-2001; 2005-2017)
ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES (National Institute of Biology)
Director, National Institute of Biology (2018-2023)
Chair, Biological Institute Jovan Hadži at ZRC SAZU (2008- 2017)
Head of Zoology, Biological Institute Jovan Hadži at ZRC SAZU (2005-2017)
Head of Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory (2011-2017)
Principal Investigator on national programme “Biodiversity: Patterns, Processes, Predictions, and Conservation” (2012-2017)
TEACHING AND MENTORSHIPS
Supervision of Young Researcher (YR) at ZRC SAZU Simona Kralj-Fišer ended with doctoral defense in 2009, the publication of the thesis in leading journals (e.g. Hormones and Behavior) and with a subsequent acquisition of a Humboldt stipend of the candidate for postdoctoral work in Germany, and finally with an ARRS postdoctoral grant (2011) that allowed her reintegration at ZRC SAZU
Supervision of YR at ZRC SAZU Matjaž Gregorič ended with doctoral defense in 2013, the publication of the thesis in leading journals (e.g. PLoS ONE) with a year-long postdoctoral work in USA, with a stipend from ARRS for employment of young doctors that allowed his reintegration at ZRC SAZU, and a postdoctoral ARRS grant (2017)
Supervision of YR Ren-Chung Cheng (2011-2016) ended with doctoral defense in 2016, the publication of the thesis in leading journals (e.g. Evolution), with continued project research collaboration, and the candidate’s reintegration into international science (Taiwan)
Supervision of YR Klemen Čandek and Shakira Quiñones Lebrón is proceeding according to plans
Mentorships abroad: N. S. M. Dzarawi (Malaysia, 2010-2011), J. Oh (Singapore, 2011), X. Xu (China, 2011-2015)
Occasional visiting lecturer: University of Hamburg (Germany), Hubei University (China), National University of Singapore (Singapore), University of Puerto Rico (USA), Amravati University (India), George Washington University (USA)
Member of B.S., M.S. and doctoral theses committees: National University of Singapore (Singapore), University of Western Australia (Australia), Macquarie University (Australia), University of Puerto Rico (USA), University of Ljubljana (Slovenia)
OUTREACH
Academic Editor: PLoS ONE
Associate/subject editor: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (Behavioral and Evolutionary Ecology), Journal of Arachnology; ZooKeys
Editorial board member: International Journal of Applied Zoology; ISRN Zoology; Hacquetia; “Phylonyms: a companion to the PhyloCode” (The University of California Press)
Council member and national correspondent: International Society of Arachnology
Peer reviewer: Ad hoc peer reviews for over 30 journals in the past 5 years; reviewer for granting agencies National Science Foundation, National Geographic Society, Macquarie University Research Fellowships, Grant Agency - Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, ARRS.
AWARDS
Fulbright visiting scholar to USA 2016/2017
Miroslav Zei Award for exceptional achievements 2015 awarded by the National Institute of Biology, Slovenia
ARRS bilateral project SLO-USA (Bl-U3117-18-011): "Phylogenomic, biogeographic, and evolutionary research trends in arachnology" 2017-2018.
ARRS basic project (J1-6729): “Integrative research of sexual dimorphism evolution” 2014–2017.
ARRS bilateral project SLO-USA (BI-US/15-16): "Biology of spiders in the phylogenomic era" 2015-2016.
ARRS bilateral project SLO-USA (BI-US/13-14-039): “Selected topics in systematic and evolutionary biology of spiders” 2013-2014.
National Geographic Society (2911). "Islands on islands: Biogeography of spider web parasites and their hosts in the Indian Ocean" 2011-2013.
ARRS basic project (J1-2063): “Phylogenetic systematics of Zygiellidae and its implications for spider evolution research” 2009–2012.
ARRS bilateral project SLO-USA (BI-US/09-12-016): “Sexual size dimorphism – its consequences for sexual and foraging biology in spiders” 2009–2012.
Swiss Contribution – Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (C1536-11T440013): ”Towards permanent conservation of biodiversity: the case of spider fauna of Switzerland and Slovenia” 2011-2012.
National Geographic Society (8655-09) “Casting spider webs across Malagasy rivers: Extraordinary silk in giant orb webs“ 2009–2012.
EU 6th FP, Marie Curie (MIRG-CT-2005-036536): “Nephilid spider phylogenetics as a test for antagonistic coevolution of sexes“ 2006-2008.