1997- June 2002 Ph.D. in Biological Sciences
University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles, 61, B-5000 Namur, Belgium.
Thesis: Compared spatial-temporal distribution of the fish populations in the reservoir lakes of Nisramont and Esch-sur-Sûre).
June 1996 Diploma of Specialization (DEA)
University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles, 61, B-5000 Namur, Belgium.
Freshwater Ecology
June 1996 License in Biological Sciences
University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles, 61, B-5000 Namur, Belgium.
Subject: Les The stromatopores in the evolution of a Frasnien biostromal paleoenvironment in Tailfer (North of Dinant, Belgium)
June 1991 Diploma of end of secondary education
Lycée Michel Rodange, Merl, Luxembourg
Modern education Section modern languages-sciences
Option Natural Sciences

Languages
Mother Tongue Luxembourgish and French
Other Languages
Skills French German English Dutch
Reading excellent excellent excellent good
Written excellent good good intermediate
Verbal excellent good good intermediate
Notions of Classic Arabian (3 years evening lessons) and Esperanto

Dr. Patricia Mergen is currently Liaison Officer and LEAR for the European Commission at the Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren Belgium. This position includes representation of the RMCA in national and international expert groups and associations, fund raising and exploratory work to find project opportunities. Additional tasks comprise assistance and advise on project proposal submissions, contribution to ongoing projects and reflect on sustainability of finished projects.
Liaise with external bodies and compiling the official answers of the museum are also part of the usual tasks (EU, Belgian Science Policy office ... ). Recently one of the major tasks was to be the coordination point for the external scientific peer review of the RMCA (2014-2015)


Until end 2013 she was head of the Biodiversity Information and Cyber-taxonomy services of the museum, where she started in 2005 as responsible for external relations and project management.

Since 2004, Patricia Mergen served regularly as an independent expert for the European Commission.

From 1996 to 1997 she was scientist at the University of Namur and responsible for the study of freshwater fish populations in the Walloon Region. From 2002 to 2005 she set up the Belgian Biodiversity Information Facility (Be-BIF), of which she was the manager, at the Free University of Brussels.

Prize award jointly with Garin Cael 'Prix de la creativité et de l'innovation 2009' for the Leonardo Mobility Daubenton Project: “Mobility Scheme for Collection Managers” by AEF Europe Agence francophone pour l'Education et la Formation tout au long de la vie (AEF-Europe)

Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) annual conferences:
2014 Jönköping, Sweden
2013 Florence, Italy
2012 Beijing, China (Hosted by Biodiversity Committee, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
2011 New Orleans, Louisiana, USA(Hosted by Museum of Natural History, Tulane University)
2010 Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
2009 Le Corum, Montpelier, France
2008 Maritime Museum of Western Australia, Fremantle, Australia
2007 Department of Zoology of the Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
2006 Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, USA
2005 Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg, Russia
2004 University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand(Hosted by Landcare Research)
2003 Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Lisboa, Portugal
2002 CRIA, Indaiatuba, Campinas, Brazil

Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities

CETAF18 Oct 2005 Stockholm, Sweden
CETAF19 May 2006 Munich, Germany
CETAF20 Oct 2006 Leiden, Netherlands
CETAF21 Mar 2007 Stuttgart, Germany
CETAF22 Oct 2007 Florence, Italy
CETAF23 Apr 2008 Prague, Czech Republic
CETAF24 Oct 2008 Copenhagen, Denmark
CETAF25 Mar 2009 Kew, UK
CETAF26 Oct 2009 Helsinki, Finland
CETAF27 Apr 2010 Linz, Austria
CETAF28 Oct 2010 Brussels, Belgium
CETAF29 Apr 2011 Geneva, Switzerland
CETAF30 Sep 2011 Madrid, Spain
CETAF31 Apr 2012 Brussels, Belgium
CETAF32 Sep 2012 Paris, France
CETAF33 Apr 2013 Berlin, Germany
CETAF34 Sep 2013 Edinburgh, Scotland
CETAF35 May 2014 Oslo, Norway
CETAF36 Oct 2014 Vienna, Austria
CETAF37 Apr 2015 Meise, Belgium
CETAF38 Oct 2015 Geneva, Switzerland


Meetings, workshops and Symposia related to the past and ongoing EU project

List to be updated ...

Patricia Mergen holds a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from University of Namur in Belgium since 2002 with topic “Distribution of fish populations in Reservoir lakes”. In 1999 she received a Diploma of Specialisation (DEA) in Freshwater Ecology and has a License in Biological Sciences from the University of Namur in Paleo-ecology (Study of fossil corral reef in the stone quarry of Tailfer, Belgium).

Patricia Mergen's current main domain of expertise is fund raising and management of externally funded projects. She has also a long term experience in Biodiversity Information and especially in the domain of data standards and associated applications. Scientific expertise is in numerical ecology and statistical modelling and data analysis.

Due to several projects in the domain she is also interested in research and activities on edible insects. With her background in French Water Ecology she also has an interest for research in the Water sector.

She is from 2010 onwards General Secretary of the Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) and since 2010 member of the executive Committee of CETAF (Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities, currently having the position of Executive Secretary. From 2012 onwards she sits in the Global Team of the Catalog of Life She is in the governing board of the Royal Belgian Zoology Society of which she has been president for (2007 to 2008 member since 1999. She is member since 1997 of the Belgian Committee of International Water Association (B-IWA) and currently Vice chair of their governing board. From 2002 to 2005 she was a member of the Belgian Delegation of the GBIF Governing Board, the Nodes Committee and the GBIF DADI (Data Access and Data Integration) subcommittee.

List of Publications:

http://www.africamuseum.be/museum/home/contact/staff/MERGEN_Patricia/publication_view

List of Projects:

http://www.africamuseum.be/home/contact/staff/MERGEN_Patricia?set_language=en&cl=en