Curriculum vitae
Personal dataName / Dr. Patrick Knopf
Address / Allerstraße 43
44287 Dortmund
Phone (private) / +49231 452331
Phone (office) / +49234 32 28064
Fax (office) / +49234 32 14284
Email /
Date of birth / 03.04.1974
Place of birth / Dortmund-Hörde
Nationality / German
Marital status / Single, no children
School career
1980-1984 / Elementary School, Dortmund-Aplerbeck
1984-1990 / Albrecht-Dürer-School, Dortmund
1990-1993 / Max-Planck-High school, Dortmund
Degree / Abitur (Grade 3.1)
Military service/alternative community service
06/1993-07/1994 / Westphalia Hospital for psychiatry in Dortmund
Activities in the local nursery, therapeutic
work with developmentally delayed and mentally ill people.
Vocational training
08/1994-01/1997 / Training for horticulturist:
8/1994-4/1995 / Nursery Zeisig Ltd. in Dortmund-Brambauer (ornamental plants)
5/1995-1/1997 / Nursery Neuhoff Ltd. in Dortmund-Wellinghofen (Gardening & Landscaping)
Degree / Gardener’s apprentice (Grade 1.7)
University career
10/1997-09/1999 / Basic studies in biology at the Ruhr-University Bochum
10/1999-11/2004 / Main studies in biology at the Ruhr-University Bochum
Focus: Evolution and biodiversity of plants
Degree / Diploma (Grade 1,1)
Diploma thesis: “Differential Diagnosis and Evolution in
Cupressus L. and Juniperus L.“
05/2005 / Beginning of the doctoral studies
1/07/2011 / Doctoral thesis: ”Differential Diagnosis and Evolution within the Podocarpaceae s.l. (Steineibengewächse i.w.S)”
6/10/2011
Degree / Public defense of the doctoral dissertation
Dr. rer. nat. (Grade 1.0 (magna cum laude)
Professional career
01/1997-03/2003 / Full-time and later part-time employment as a gardener’s apprentice
at nursery Neuhoff Ltd.
04/2003-08/2003 / Student assistant at the Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity of Plants at Ruhr-University Bochum
04/2004-08/2004 / (see above)
04/2005-10/2005 / Research assistant at the above institute
11/2005-05/2006 / Research staff at the above institute
06/2006-08/2006 / Research assistant at the above institute
09/2006-12/2006 / Part-time employment as a gardener’s apprentice at nursery Neuhoff Ltd.
02/2007-12/2007 / Research assistant at the above institute
since 01/2008 / Research staff at the above institute
International experience/
fieldwork
since 12/2004 / Various stays for cooperation in Botanical Gardens and centers
for biodiversity research in Europe (e.g. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Kew Gardens, London, National History Museum Paris;
Prague Botanical Garden, Naturalis Leiden)
12/2006-01/2007 / Field work and scientific exchange with various institutes in
Brazil (Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo)
09/2007-10/2007 / Material and scientific exchange with various institutes in the US
(e.g.. Atlanta Botanical Garden, Berkeley University, Harvard
University, New York Botanical Garden, Smith College)
05/2008-06/2008 / Field work at Mt. Sibaliw, Panay (Philippines)
01/2009-02/2009 / Molecular research and further education at the New York Botanical Garden. (Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Program for Molecular Systematics)
03/2009-04/2009 /
Field work and scientific exchange in Polynesia (Fiji Is. and Tonga Is.)
07/2009-08/2009 / Field work and scientific exchange in Malaysia and Sabah08/2010-09/2010 / Congress attendance and field work in Singapore
additional field work and scientific exchange in Java (Bogor, Cibodas)
07/2011-08/2011 / Congress attendance, field work and scientific exchange in Australia (Victoria)
additional field work and scientific exchange in New Caledonia
08/2012-09/2012 / Lecture tour USA (New York Botanical Garden, Yale University, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Montgomery Botanical Center)
Publication list
Schulz, C., Knopf, P., Stützel, Th. 2005. Identification key to the Cypress family (Cupressaceae). Feddes Repert. 116 (1-2), 96-146.
Jagel, A. & Knopf, P. 2007. Blühende Zapfen der Taiwanie (Taiwania cryptomerioides Hayata, Cupressaceae s. l.) im Botanischen Garten Düsseldorf. Erstmals in Mitteleuropa? – Mitt. Dtsch. Dendrol. Ges. 92, 117-124.
Knopf, P., Nimsch, H., Stützel, Th. 2007. Dacrydium × suprinii, sp. Nova – a natural hybrid of Dacrydium araucarioides × D. guillauminii. Feddes Repert. 118 (1–2), 51-59.
Knopf, P., Schulz, C., Little, D.P., Stützel, Th. & Stevenson, D.Wm. 2012. Relationships within Podocarpaceae based on DNA sequence, anatomical, morphological, and biogeographical data. Cladistics 28 (3), 271-299.
Congress attendance
Knopf, P., Schulz, C. & Stützel, Th.: Phylogeny within Cupressus L. with morphological data. XVII International Botanical Congress in Vienna, 17.-23.7.2005. (poster presentation).
Schulz, C., Knopf, P. & Stützel, Th.: Identification key for the cypress family (Cupressaceae). XVII International Botanical Congress in Vienna, 17.-23.7.2005. (poster presentation).
Knopf, P., Bongart, C. & Stützel, Th.: The female cone development of Araucaria araucana (Molina) K. Koch. 17th Internat. Symp. Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology (of the DBG) in Bonn, 24.-28.9.2006. (poster presentation).
Knopf, P. & Stützel, Th.: Phylogeny and anatomy within the genus Dacrydium Sol. ex G. Forst. (Podocarpaceae). 8th Flora malesiana Symposium in Singapore, 23.-27.8.2010. (poster presentation).
Knopf, P., Schulz, C., Little, D.P., Stützel, Th. & Stevenson, D.: A combined phylogenetic reconstruction of the Podocarpaceae based on rbcL, nrITS1 And NEEDLY intron2 sequence as well as anatomical, morphological and biogeographical data. 8th Flora malesiana Symposium in Singapore, 23.-27.8.2010. (oral presentation)
Knopf, P., Schulz, C., Little, D.P., Stützel, Th. & Stevenson, D.: A combined phylogenetic reconstruction of the Podocarpaceae based on rbcL, nrITS1 And NEEDLY intron2 sequence as well as anatomical, morphological and biogeographical data. XVIII International Botanical Congress in Melbourne, 23.-30.7.2011. (poster presentation).
Knopf, P., Schulz, C., Little, D.P., Stützel, Th. & Stevenson, D.: Comparative Phylogeny within Podocarpaceae (Coniferopsida). XIII Young Systematics Forum in London (Natural History Museum), 1.-2.12.2011. (poster presentation with award).
Lectures
Montgomery Botanical Center, Miami 2009/02/07: Differential diagnosis within Podocarpaceae using leaf anatomical characters.
Jordrell Lab.-Kew Gardens, London 2011/01/27: Phylogeny and anatomy within the Podocarpaceae.
New York Botanical Garden 2012/08/24: Comparative phylogeny and anatomy within Podocarpaceae s.l. – results and perspectives.
Yale University, New Haven 2012/08/28: Phylogenetics of the conifer family Podocarpaceae at the species level.
Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta 2012/08/31: Comparative phylogeny and anatomy within Podocarpaceae s.l. – results and perspectives.
Montgomery Botanical Center, Miami 2012/09/03: see above
Accomplished teaching at the Ruhr-University Bochum
Basis module ”Systematic and evolution of vascular plants”
Basis module “Anatomy and evolution of the spermatophyte”
Basis module “Floristic field work in Russia (Kursk)”
A-module “Flora and vegetation of Central Europe”
A-module “Biodiversity of plants”
Modules for students from all faculties “Biodiversity in the Botanical Garden Bochum”
Modules for students from all faculties “Everyday botany”
Basis studies: 2. Sem. “Floristic and Faunistic fieldtrips“
Basic studies: 2. Sem. “Identification courses“
Botanical fieldtrip to Grietherbusch (river vegetation)
Instructional/supervising function
16 advanced module candidates:
(Various themes about anatomy, morphology and morphogeny within Podocarpaceae and Araucariaceae).
Bachelor candidate:
Bongart, C. 2006: Morphogenese der weiblichen Zapfen von Araucaria araucana und ihre mögliche Bedeutung für die Phylogenie der Gymnospermen.
Diploma candidates:
Fehrenberg, J. 2008: Evolution und Differentialdiagnose innerhalb des Genus Podocarpus L´Hér. ex Pers. Subgenus Foliolatus De Laub. anhand blattanatomischer Merkmale.
Heine, A. 2008: Differentialdiagnose und Evolution innerhalb der Gattung Dacrydium Sol. ex G. Forst. (Podocarpaceae).
Balnis, N. 2009: Differentialdiagnose und Evolution innerhalb der Gattung Agathis Salisb. (Araucariaceae).
Mildenberger, S. 2010: Vergleichende Anatomie und Morphologie der Wurzelknöllchen der Podocarpaceae. Diplomarbeit, Ruhr-Universität Bochum.
Klaus, K. 2010: Morphologie, Anatomie und Evolution der afrikanischen und madagassischen Podocarpaceeen.
Wagener, G. 2012: Vergleichende Blattanatomie innerhalb des Podocarpus neriifolius D.Don-Komplex.
Gorell, M. 2012: Differentialdiagnose der Taxa der Gattung Podocarpus L’Her. ex Pers. aus Neuguinea anhand blattanatomischer Untersuchungen.