Gudrun Kadereit

Gudrun Kadereit is a Professor at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, holding the prestigious Princess Therese of Bavaria Chair of Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants. She serves as Director of both the Botanical Garden Munich-Nymphenburg and the Botanical State Collection Munich. Her academic home is within the Faculty of Biology, where she leads a vibrant research group focused on plant systematics and evolution.

Professor Kadereit's research spans multiple dimensions of plant evolutionary biology, with particular expertise in angiosperm phylogenetics, systematics, and biogeography. Her work focuses on several key plant families including Amaranthaceae, Melastomataceae, Crassulaceae, Aizoaceae, and Zygophyllaceae. She has made significant contributions to understanding the evolution of C4 photosynthesis and Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM), as well as seed trait evolution. As part of the DFG priority program SPP 1991, she actively participates in Taxon-omics, a German network combining traditional taxonomy with modern approaches to biodiversity discovery.

Analysis of Professor Kadereit's recent publications reveals a robust research program integrating molecular phylogenetics, biogeography, and functional plant biology. Her work demonstrates consistent leadership in plant systematics, with particular emphasis on photosynthetic pathway evolution and adaptation to extreme environments. She frequently collaborates with international researchers across multiple continents, reflecting the global significance of her work in plant evolutionary biology.

• Princess Therese of Bavaria Chair (first professorship at LMU named after a woman)
• Director of Botanical Garden Munich-Nymphenburg
• Director of Botanical State Collection Munich

Professor Kadereit has supervised an extensive number of students throughout her career, including numerous PhD candidates, Master's students, and Bachelor's students. Her research group comprises postdocs, PhD students, and technical staff working collaboratively on various aspects of plant systematics and evolution. She has secured significant funding for projects including the Taxon-omics initiative (DFG SPP 1991) and other research exploring plant adaptation to extreme environments.

Her laboratory facilities support comprehensive research in plant systematics, with access to the resources of the Botanical Garden Munich-Nymphenburg and the Botanical State Collection Munich. The research group maintains active collaborations with institutions worldwide, particularly in Africa, South America, and Asia, focusing on plant biodiversity in diverse ecosystems ranging from arid lands to tropical forests.