Bill S. Hansson

Bill S. Hansson serves as Director of the Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, holding the academic rank of Professor. His leadership focuses on unraveling the neural and evolutionary mechanisms underlying chemical communication in insects.

His research program centers on insect olfactory systems, with particular emphasis on neural processing of chemical signals and evolutionary adaptations. Key investigative areas include:

• Central neural circuitry in odor processing
• Odor-guided behavioral responses in ecological contexts
• Molecular mechanisms of odor reception and transduction
• Lepidopteran-specific neuroethological adaptations
• Evolutionary trajectories of chemical communication systems

Professor Hansson's exceptional contributions to chemical ecology and neuroethology have been recognized through extensive international honors, including:

• 2025: Silver Medal of the International Society of Chemical Ecology
• 2024: Great Medal of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
• 2023: Honorary professorship of Nanjing Agricultural University, China
• 2022: Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
• 2021: Gold Medal of the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry
• 2021: Cross of Merit 1st class of the Federal Republic of Germany
• 2020: icipe@50 Achievement Award for leadership and scientific contributions to insect chemical ecology
• 2017: Honorary Doctorate from Czech University of Life Sciences and election to Leopoldina National Academy
• 2016: International Ellis Island Medal of Honor
• 2014: ISCE Silverstein-Simeone Lecture Award on Drosophila olfaction
• 2010-2017: Multiple academy memberships including Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and Academia Europaea
• 1998-2009: Takasago Research Award, Letterstedt Prize, and foundational recognition in olfactory science

As head of the Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Hansson directs a comprehensive research program investigating the neural and evolutionary basis of insect chemical communication, with particular focus on moth olfactory systems and their ecological significance.