Exciting changes have taken place at the European Polar Board over the past month. During the Spring 2025 Plenary Meeting, held on 8-9 May in Umeå, Sweden, Dr. Daan Blok (Dutch Research Council – NWO) was elected as a new member of the Executive Committee (EXCOM). In addition, during the meeting the Plenary also welcomed new representatives from Italy (Italian National Research Council – CNR) and Austria (Austrian Science Fund – FWF) who have recently joined EPB.
We are excited to introduce them and look forward to learning from their expertise and perspectives they bring to our collaborative work!
Dr. Daan Blok (EXCOM member, Representative NWO) (The Netherlands)
Programme Coordinator, Netherlands Polar Programme, NWO
Dr. Daan Blok is trained as an Arctic ecologist, with a passion for bridging science and policy. After earning a PhD from Wageningen University on permafrost–vegetation–climate interactions in Siberia, he conducted postdoctoral research in Greenland, including work with the EU-funded INTERACT programme in the Station Managers Forum. Following that he received an International Career Grant from the Swedish Research Council to continue his ecological studies in Arctic regions at Lund University. Today, Daan continues his career as programme coordinator at the Netherlands Polar Programme, Dutch Research Council (NWO) that funds and develops Arctic and Antarctic research programmes, fosters International collaboration & supports Early-Career polar scientists. He also represents the Netherlands in IASC, SCAR, COMNAP, and FARO.
Prof. Giuliana Panieri (Representative, CNR) (Italy)
Director, Institute of Polar Sciences, CNR
Professor of Geology, UiT, The Arctic University of Norway
A leading expert on extreme marine environments, Prof. Giuliana Panieri combines academic excellence with international leadership. She has held academic and research positions across Europe and the United States, and currently serves as Director of the Institute of Polar Sciences at the Italian National Research Council (CNR), while also holding a professorship in Geology at the Department of Geosciences at UiT The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø. Additionally, she is an adjunct scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (USA) and a Professorial Research Fellow at the University of Vienna (Austria). Her research focuses on extreme marine environments such as cold seeps, gas hydrate systems and hydrothermal vents. A central objective of her work is to understand the implications of these systems for climate change, particularly in the Arctic. With over 200 publications, she is a former General Secretary of the European Geosciences Union, former lead of the AMGG Research PhD School, and a passionate advocate for ocean literacy and science communication.
Dr. Sandro Carniel (Alternate representative, CNR) (Italy)
Research Director, Institute of Polar Sciences, CNR
Faculty, Bocconi University (MaSEM Programme)
Dr. Sandro Carniel is an oceanographer known for his work at the intersection of climate, oceans, and technology. He serves as a Research Director at the National Research Council, Institute of Polar Sciences, Venice, and Faculty Member at the Master in Sustainability and Energy Management (MaSEM), Bocconi University in Milan. From 2019 to early 2025, he also led the Research Division at NATO’s Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation. His research primarily focuses on the relationship between oceans and climate, air-sea interactions, sea level rise and digital twins of the ocean, with nearly 300 publications and contributions in scientific journals. His research always follows a multi- and interdisciplinary approach, with particular attention to emerging technologies and to the Climate Change and Security nexus. He serves as Associate Editor for several international journals, including Progress in Oceanography and Ocean Dynamics, and sits on the Scientific Committee of the One Ocean Foundation. A former Vice President of the Ocean Sciences Division at the European Geosciences Union, he has evaluated numerous international research projects and is widely recognized for his science communication, including award-winning popular science books and media appearances. In 2022, he received the prestigious Tridente d’Oro Award for his contributions to oceanographic research and outreach, and in 2024, he was named an International Fellow of the Explorers Club of New York.
Prof. Jakob Abermann (Alternate representative, FWF) (Austria)
Associate Professor, Graz University
Vice President, Austrian Polar Research Institute
Prof. Jakob Abermann brings hands-on expertise in glaciology and climate science. After earning a PhD on changes in Austrian glaciers at Innsbruck University, he carried out work at CEAZA in Chile, focusing on micrometeorology over Andean glaciers, and later at Asiaq in Greenland on a range of glacier and climate research projects. In 2018 he got appointed as Ass.-Prof. at Graz University and completed his venia docendi in 2023 to become an Assoc.-Prof. there. His research is rooted in field-based environmental monitoring and applying the complexity learned for advancing process understanding, validating remote sensing products and improving models. More recently, he has incorporated historical data and imagery to connect current climate change and its impacts to long-term trends. In 2024, he became Vice President of the Austrian Polar Research Institute.