Dainis Ruņģis is a senior researcher at the Latvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava", leading the Genetic Resource Centre (GRC). The GRC is responsible for coordinating genetic resource management activities in Latvia, including genetic research and monitoring. The GRC provides genetic expertise and analysis to support a wide range of research areas, including wildlife management, ecosystem services, tree breeding, biodiversity monitoring, forest pathology and entomology. Research includes genetic and genomic analyses of forest tree species (Scots pine, Norway spruce, birch etc.), other wild plant species, large carnivores (wolf, lynx, brown bear). Research topics include studies of population genetic diversity and structure, profiling of microbial diversity and fundamental research on genome structure and function in Scots pine.