Susana Coelho appointed as a member of the Leopoldina
The Leopoldina, the German National Academy of Sciences, has elected Susana Coelho, Director of the Department for Algal Development and Evolution, as a member in recognition to her outstanding contributions to the fields of Genetics, Molecular Biology and Cell Biology.
“I am truly honored to have been elected as a member of the Leopoldina,” Susana Coelho. “Joining an institution with such a distinguished legacy of scientific excellence and societal influence is both a privilege and a profound responsibility. I look forward to collaborating with this diverse and accomplished community, contributing to meaningful dialogue on critical scientific, political, and social challenges. This recognition inspires me to help advance knowledge and strengthen its role in shaping a better future.”
Since 2020 Susana Coelho ist Director of the Department of Algal Development and Evolution at the Max Planck Insitute for Biology Tübingen. The evolutionary biologist and her team focus on the molecular and evolutionary mechanisms behind the complex developmental patterns and reproductive traits found in brown and red algae, as well as the origin and evolution of sexual system diversity across eukaryotes.
Susana Coelho completed her PhD at the Marine Biological Association in the lab of Colin Brownlee (Plymouth, United Kingdom). As a postdoc, she worked alongside Akira Peters and Mark Cock to establish the brown alga Ectocarpus as a model organism in evolutionary research.
From 2006 - 2020, she worked at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in Roscoff, where she intensified her research on the life cycle and reproduction of brown algae. Since 2010, she has co-led the algal genetics team at the Roscoff Biological Station with Mark Cock, and in 2015 was appointed Research Director at CNRS in Roscoff.
About the Leopoldina
Founded in 1652, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina is a traditional scientific society with around 1,700 members from 30 countries and almost all scientific disciplines. In 2008, it was named Germany's National Academy of Sciences. Independent of economic or political interests, it works scientifically on important social issues of the future, communicates the results to politicians and the public and represents these issues both nationally and internationally. It is the oldest continuously existing scientific and medical academy in the world and elects outstanding scientists as its members. Since its foundation, more than 7,000 personalities have been appointed.