Celebrating 25 Inspiring Women in Plant Biology

The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) Women in Plant Biology Committee recently named 25 Inspiring Women in Plant Biology to celebrate their achievements and inspire future generations of female plant biologists. This committee, dedicated to addressing particular concerns to women scientists and promoting the inclusion of female plant biologists throughout the Society and profession, created this list with input and nominations from the community. 

“This initiative was inspired by two things: First, our desire to improve recognition of inspiring women scientists. We have had many wonderful women who have inspired us on the committee, and we recognized that we needed to cast a wider net to recognize women in subspecialties beyond our own,” said Rebecca Roston, Chair of ASPB’s Women in Plant Biology Committee. 

“Second, we have for some time had interviews with one or two powerful or inspiring women for Women’s History Month, and we wanted to expand this and better represent how meaningful women have been in the history of plant biology,” she added. 

These 25 exemplary female researchers have made significant contributions in various aspects of plant biology, such as: 

• Vegetative development 
• Biochemistry 
• Reproductive Biology 
• Biotic interactions 
• Abiotic interactions 
• Plant-microbe pathogenesis 
• Gene regulation 
• Cell Biology 
• Signal Transduction  
• Phenomics 

Eleven of the women listed are considered distinguished researchers. Ten are mid-career researchers and four are early career researchers.The majority of these researchers are also hailed for their impactful mentorship, advocacy, and leadership in their labs and respective fields. 

“When a scientific society recognizes women scientists, it sends a strong message that the field values contributions from all genders,” stated Roston. 

“This can help to attract and retain more talented women in science, leading to a more diverse and inclusive research community. Evidence from the business world shows that the highest-grossing businesses also tend to be the most diverse. Unsupported minorities and women are less likely to share unusual solutions to problems, while those that are supported do. Recognizing women scientists encourages them to share their unique viewpoints, potentially leading to breakthroughs and advancements that might not have been achieved otherwise.” 

Read more about the 25 Inspiring Women in Plant Biology here. 

About the American Society of Plant Biology

ASPB is a professional scientific society, headquartered in Rockville, MD, that is devoted to the advancement of the plant sciences worldwide. With a membership of some 3,000 plant scientists from throughout the United States and around the world, the Society publishes two of the most widely cited plant science journals, The Plant Cell and Plant Physiology, and co-publishes the open access journal Plant Direct. ASPB also hosts the annual Plant Biology conference; supports plant science outreach, engagement, and advocacy; and powers the Plantae digital ecosystem for plant scientists. Learn more about ASPB at https://aspb.org/.