Solongo Khadbaatar

Solongo Khadbaatar was born in 1984 in the small northern Mongolian town of Zuunkharaa, located in Mandal soum, Selenge Province, as the second child of L. Khadbaatar. Raised in a region known for its rich forests, river valleys, and diverse steppe ecosystems, she developed an early and enduring fascination with plants, natural landscapes, and ecological processes. In 2001, she completed her primary and secondary education at the 1st Middle School of Mandal soum, graduating with distinction and laying the academic foundation for her future scientific career.
Driven by a strong interest in biological sciences, Solongo pursued higher education at the National University of Mongolia (NUM), where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology (Biologist–Botanist) in 2005. Her undergraduate thesis, titled “Biological Characteristics and Bioactive Substances of Pulsatilla turczaninovii”, marked her introduction to scientific research and provided the groundwork for her later specialization in plant biology and phytochemistry.
Continuing her academic journey, Solongo completed her Master of Science in Botany at NUM’s School of Natural Sciences between 2010 and 2014. Her master’s thesis, “Morphometric Analysis of the Subgenus Chrysante (Spach.) L. Benson of the Genus Ranunculus L.”, introduced quantitative morphometric techniques and statistical analysis into Mongolian plant systematics. Through this work, she clarified species boundaries, identified new diagnostic characters, and documented two newly recorded species in Mongolia’s flora, significantly enriching national taxonomic knowledge.
In 2008, Solongo began her professional career at the Institute of Botany, Mongolian Academy of Sciences (MAS), joining the Department of Plant Taxonomy. Over nearly two decades of service, she has become a central contributor to Mongolian floristic research, systematics, and biodiversity documentation.
She is a principal author of two major volumes of the national Flora of Mongolia series:
Paeoniaceae (2020)
Ranunculaceae (2024)
Both works are published as comprehensive, authoritative monographs that play an essential role in the modern botanical literature of Mongolia.
Between 2019 and 2025, Solongo also engaged in long-term ecological projects including peatland monitoring, vegetation dynamics studies, and biodiversity assessments for organizations such as the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Oyu Tolgoi LLC, WSCC Association, and GreenChoice. Her fieldwork spans multiple ecosystems—from peat bogs and forest-steppe zones to mountain valleys and river basins—further strengthening her interdisciplinary expertise in botany and ecology.
From 2019 to 2025, Solongo pursued her doctoral studies at Jilin Agricultural University (JLAU) in China. She completed her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Biology in 2025, producing an extensive dissertation titled “Resource Investigation of Three Rare Medicinal Mushrooms in Mongolia and Comparative Analysis of Their Metabolomics and the Pharmacological Mechanism of Inonotus hispidus in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.”
Her doctoral research provided several groundbreaking results:
Comprehensive metabolomic profiling of rare medicinal fungi (Leucocalcocybe mongolica, Ganoderma tsugae, Inonotus hispidus)
Discovery of a new national locality of Inonotus hispidus in Mongolia
Experimental confirmation (in vivo and in vitro) that Inonotus hispidus aqueous extract reduces PCOS symptoms and improves metabolic health
Scientific evidence of species‑, stage‑, and environment‑dependent variation in fungal bioactive compound synthesis
These findings significantly advance the understanding of medicinal fungi in Mongolia and demonstrate their potential clinical applications.
Solongo has produced an extensive body of scholarly work, including:
3 theses
5 books and monographs
2 book chapters
15 scientific journal articles
11 conference presentations
Contributions to international collaborative research publications (including global biodiversity and invasion biology reports)
Her publications have appeared in journals such as Journal of Fungi, Mongolian Journal of Biological Sciences, and The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, among others.
Fluent in Mongolian and proficient in English, with reading ability in Russian and beginner-level Chinese, Solongo is committed to international scientific collaboration. She also utilizes a wide range of research tools including MS Office, OriginPro, GPS systems, and field telemetry.
Solongo’s personal life is closely intertwined with the scientific world. She married Ganbaatar Burenbaatar in 2008, a dedicated mycologist at the Botanical Garden and Research Institute. Together, they are recognized as an honorable scientist family contributing to Mongolia’s botanical and mycological research community.
They are parents to three children:
Naran (born 2010), a first-year student at Koosen College
Erdem (born 2013), a 7th‑grade student at the 1st Middle School of Mandal soum
Saran (born 2014), a 3rd‑grade student at the 2nd Middle School of Mandal soum
Balancing a thriving scientific career with deep dedication to her family, Solongo is respected for both her professional achievements and her personal integrity.
Today, Solongo Khadbaatar stands as one of Mongolia’s emerging leaders in plant systematics, medicinal mycology, metabolomics, and biodiversity research. Her work continues to enrich the scientific understanding of Mongolia’s flora and fungi while supporting conservation, sustainable resource use, and the growth of botanical science within the country.