ST. LOUIS, Feb. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- After an extensive international search, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center has named Giles Oldroyd, PhD, as its next President. Oldroyd, a renowned plant geneticist, is recognized for his work to understand symbiotic interactions between plants and beneficial bacteria and fungi that aid in the uptake of nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus. He will step into his new role on October 1, 2025.
"Dr. Oldroyd is a proven leader with a passion and strong commitment for improving lives through plant science," said Penny Pennington, managing partner, Edward Jones and chair, Danforth Center Board of Directors, who led the search committee. "Under his leadership, we are confident the Danforth Center will continue to drive innovative research, foster collaboration and expand its impact across the globe."
Since 2017 Oldroyd has served as the Russell R. Geiger Professor of Crop Science and Director of the Crop Science Centre at the University of Cambridge. He is in the top 1% of highly cited plant scientists across the globe, and one of only a few hundred scientists in the world who are elected members in both the UK's Royal Society and the US National Academy of Sciences, the two foremost scientific organizations in the English-speaking world.
He also leads the Enabling Nutrient Symbioses in Agriculture (ENSA) project, funded by Gates Ag One, which seeks to sustainably raise crop yields in Africa through improved nutrient uptake. The World Food Prize Foundation recently named him to the 2024 Top Agri-Food Pioneers List.
"Plant science is essential to tackling the global challenges we face," said Oldroyd. "I am honored to lead this prestigious institution as we continue to deliver impact through new discoveries and technologies, ensuring the sustainable production of food and fuel."
Born and raised in the UK, Oldroyd received his undergraduate degree in biology from the University of East Anglia and earned his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. He began work on beneficial microbial interactions as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University. In 2002 he joined the John Innes Centre, UK as an independent investigator and in 2017 moved to the University of Cambridge, where he is Professor of Crop Science. Oldroyd has received numerous awards and is a Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).
Oldroyd succeeds Danforth Center President and CEO James C. Carrington, PhD, who has led the Center since 2011.
ABOUT THE DONALD DANFORTH PLANT SCIENCE CENTER
Founded in 1998, the Danforth Plant Science Center is a not-for-profit research institute with a mission to improve the human condition through plant science. Research, education, and outreach aim to have impact at the nexus of food security and the environment and position the St. Louis region as a world center for plant science.
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