I am an interdisciplinary earth system scientist with interests in biogeochemical cycles, sustainable natural resource management, and paleoenvironmental reconstruction. I often use organic molecules and isotopes as tools to understand environmental processes. I am particularly interested in understanding the mechanisms that control the persistence of organic carbon in soil over long timescales (decades to millennia).

Ph.D., Climate Sciences, University of Bern, 2021

M.S., Geology, Northern Arizona University, 2015

B.S., Environmental Science, Northern Arizona University, 2011

Selected publications

For a complete list of publications, see my Google Scholar profile.

Zander, P.D., Rubach, F., Martínez-García, A. (2025). Large volume injection and assessment of reference standards for n-alkane δD and δ¹³C analysis via gas chromatography isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 39, e9943. http://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.9943.

Zander, P.D., Żarczyński, M., Tylmann, W., Vogel, H., Grosjean, M. (2024). Subdecadal Holocene Warm-season Temperature Variability in Central Europe Recorded by Biochemical Varves. Geophysical Research Letters, 51, e2024GL110871. http://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL110871.

Zander, P.D., Böhl, D., Sirocko, F., Auderset, A. Haug, G.H., Martínez-García, A. (2024). Reconstruction of warm season temperatures in central Europe during the past 60,000 years from lacustrine GDGTs. Climate of the Past, 20, 841–864. https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-841-2024.

Tu, L., Moyle, M., Boyle, J.F., Zander, P.D., Huang, T., Meng, L., Huang, C., Zhou, X. Grosjean, M. (2023). Anthropogenic modification of phosphorus sequestration in lake sediments during the Holocene: A global perspective. Global and Planetary Change, 229, 104222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2023.104222.

Zander, P.D., Wirth, S.B., Gilli, A., Peduzzi, S., Grosjean, M. (2023). Hyperspectral imaging sediment core scanning tracks high-resolution Holocene variations in (an)oxygenic phototrophic communities at Lake Cadagno, Swiss Alps. Biogeosciences, 20, 2221–2235. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2221-2023.

Zander, P.D., Wienhues, G., Grosjean, M. (2022). Scanning Hyperspectral Imaging for In Situ Biogeochemical Analysis of Lake Sediment Cores: Review of Recent Developments. Journal of Imaging, 8, 58. https://doi.org/10.3390/jimaging8030058.

Zander, P.D., Żarczyński, M., Vogel, H., Tylmann, W., Wacnik, A., Sanchini, A., Grosjean, M. (2021). A high-resolution record of Holocene primary productivity and water-column mixing from the varved sediments of Lake Żabińskie, Poland. Science of the Total Environment, 755, 143713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143713.

Tierney, J.E., deMenocal, P.B., Zander, P.D. (2017). A climatic context for the out-of-Africa migration. Geology, 45, 1023-1026. https://doi.org/10.1130/G39457.1.

• Swiss National Science Foundation Postdoc.Mobility fellowship (2022-2024)
• Young Researchers Travel Support Grant, Faculty of Science, University of Bern (2019)
• 1st place poster prize, Bern Workshop on ¹⁴C Analyses with the Mini-Carbon Dating System (2017)
• Visiting Graduate Student Grant, LacCore, University of Minnesota (2013)
• Geological Society of America Graduate Research Grant and Alexander Sisson Award (2013)
• NASA Undergraduate Research in Global Climate Change Grant (2010)
• National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates grant (2010)