Barbara Gravendeel appointed new scientific director of Hortus Botanicus Leiden
Barbara Gravendeel has been appointed as the new scientific director of Hortus botanicus Leiden. Additionally, she has been named Professor of Plants and Society. Gravendeel succeeds Paul Keßler, who held the position for nineteen years. Currently, she works as a group leader at Naturalis Biodiversity Center and special professor at Radboud University. She will begin her new role on 1 May.
Barbara Gravendeel studied Biology in Utrecht and obtained her PhD in Leiden. For decades, she has been using the living collections of the Leiden Hortus for innovative research. Since 2019, she has been working at Naturalis Biodiversity Center, where she leads the Evolutionary Ecology group, alongside a special chair in Plant Evolution at Radboud University. Prior to that, she was a lector at Leiden University of Applied Sciences for eight years.
It is Gravendeel’s passion to study how plants adapt to a changing world. She is eager to share her knowledge on this relevant topic. ‘With this new appointment, a long-cherished dream becomes reality. I look forward to generating scientific knowledge through my new chair in Plants and Society, but also to raising awareness amongst the general public about the link between biodiversity loss and climate change.’
Jasper Knoester, dean of the Faculty of Science, is delighted with the appointment. ‘With Barbara, we have found an excellent new director. She has more than earned her stripes as a scientist and has extensive experience in leadership roles. She is already well-acquainted with the Hortus and has great plans to give it even more significance, not only for the university but also for the city and society. The position of the Hortus, which has been so well developed under the leadership of Paul Keßler, will be further strengthened through this appointment.’