Bill S. Hansson

Bill S. Hansson is the Managing Director of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology (MPICE) in Jena, Germany, and Director of the Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology. Previously, he served as Professor and Head of Chemical Ecology Division at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Associate Dean at the Faculty for Landscape Planning, Horticulture and Agricultural Sciences, and held academic positions at Lund University spanning from Assistant to Associate Professor.

His research focuses on the neuroethology of insect olfaction, examining its function, anatomy, and evolutionary basis. Key interests include olfactory coding, neural processing of chemical signals, and odor-dependent behaviors in model organisms like Drosophila and moths. His pioneering work includes developing calcium imaging in moth brains and demonstrating functional organization in insect olfactory systems.

Hansson's extensive publication record (200+ papers) reveals consistent focus on insect sensory biology, with recent work exploring neural correlates of odor valence, deceptive pollination systems, and molecular mechanisms of odorant reception. His research integrates neurophysiology, molecular biology, and behavioral ecology approaches.

Major Honors and Awards:

• ISCE Silverstein-Simeone Lecture Award (2014)
• AChemS Givaudan Lecture Award (2013)
• Letterstedt Prize (2009)
• Swedish Linnaeus Grant: €1M/year for 10 years (2006)
• Elected Fellow/Member of 5 national academies including Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

He leads a research department of approximately 60 members at MPICE, where he established evolutionary neuroethology as a core discipline. His team investigates olfactory modulation across evolutionary timescales using Drosophila and hawk moth models, supported by major funding including the Linnaeus Grant.