Nathalie Verbruggen

Nathalie Verbruggen is a Belgian academic specialized in plant biology. She currently is a full professor and the director of the Laboratory of Physiology and Molecular Genetics of Plants at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB).

Her career began at the University of Ghent, where she completed her PhD under the supervision of Marc Van Montagu.  During her tenure as a team leader at Ghent (VIB), she led research on plant stress tolerance, genetic regulation, and responses to environmental challenges.

For the past 25 years at ULB, her research has focused on metal homeostasis, ionomics, and the molecular mechanisms that enable plants adapt to environmental stress, including toxic concentrations of trace metals like cadmium. Her recent studies delve into how circadian rhythms interact with nutrient homeostasis, revealing critical insights into plant metabolism and stress.

Nathalie Verbruggen's international recognition includes over 50 oral presentations at international conferences, and invitations at universities, such as in Tokyo, Lodz, Tunis, Lubumbashi and Cambridge, where she was also elected a fellow of Churchill College. She has substantial experience in Africa, having taught in Congo for seven years, where she worked on unique plants adapted to one of the world’s most mineralized soils.

Her research contributions include over 200 publications in journals including PNAS, New Phytologist, Plant Journal, Current Opinion in Plant Biology, Plant Physiology.

Nathalie Verbruggen is an elected a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium, and the Royal Academy of Overseas Sciences.