Uta Paszkowski

Uta Paszkowski (born 1964) is a German biologist specializing in molecular genetics of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis in cereals. Since 2026 she has been Russell R. Geiger Professor of Crop Science and director of the Crop Science Centre at the University of Cambridge.

Early life and education Paszkowski undertook undergraduate study at the University of Cologne. She completed her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in biotechnology at ETH Zurich. Her research focused on gene targeting in tobacco.

She joined the University of Cambridge in October 2012 as a lecturer. She is a fellow of St John's College, Cambridge, where she is director of studies for plant sciences. In 2026, she was additionally appointed Russell R. Geiger Chair in Crop Science in the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, and director of the Crop Science Centre.

Her research focuses on improving agricultural sustainability by studying how cereals take up nutrients via symbiotic fungi.

She was elected to the Leopoldina (2023). In 2025, she was elected an international member of the American National Academy of Sciences. In 2026, she was elected Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS), United Kingdom's national academy of sciences.