Cecile A M de Klein

Cecile de Klein (born 1962) is a Dutch–New Zealand scientist at the New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science, specialising in soil and environmental science. In 2026, de Klein was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi. De Klein also captained the Dutch women's rugby team at the 1991 Women's Rugby World Cup.

Research career

De Klein completed a master's degree in biology in 1988 and then a PhD in landscape ecology at the University of Utrecht in 1993. She then undertook postdoctoral research in the UK, working with ADAS, an agricultural and environmental consultancy. She researched nitrogen cycling, and developed methods of accurately measuring nitrous-oxide emissions, leading to better reporting of New Zealand's emissions. De Klein has advocated for 'living labs', which place farmers and researchers together in regional hubs, to test and refine solutions to greenhouse gas emission problems in real-life situations that reflect regional variations in conditions.

In 2024, de Klein was appointed by MBIE as a Horizon Europe National Contact Point for New Zealand, covering the areas of food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and environment.

De Klein was the keynote speaker at the XXII N Workshop Resolving the Global Nitrogen Dilemma - Opportunities and Challenges in Aarhus in 2024. In 2026, de Klein was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi.

Selected works