Honorary Doctorate 2023: Professor Elena Conti (Faculty of Natural Sciences)
Professor Elena Conti is the director of the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Germany and stands out as one of the best structural biologists of her generation. She has conducted pivotal research on the turnover of RNA – the chain-shaped macromolecule that is an important component in the cells of all organisms.
Elena Conti has published several influential scientific articles, many of which have featured in the prestigious journals Cell and Nature. Throughout her career she has received many awards, including the Leibniz Prize in 2008, the Sir Hans Krebs Medal in 2011, and the Gregori Aminoff Prize in 2022.
Elena Conti has collaborated closely with researchers and students at Aarhus University for many years. She has visited the university on many occasions to present her work, including as part of the Kjeldgaard Lectures at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics.