Ingrid Kögel-Knabner

Professor Ingrid Kögel-Knabner is a leading soil scientist at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) within the TUM School of Life Sciences. She holds the Chair of Soil Science and has been a Carl-von-Linde Senior Fellow at the TUM Institute of Advanced Study since 2011. Her career includes professorships at Ruhr University Bochum and the University of Bayreuth.

Education:

• 1978–1983: Studies in Geoecology at the University of Bayreuth
• 1983: Diploma in Geoecology
• 1987: PhD in Soil Science under Prof. Dr. W. Zech
• 1992: Habilitation in Soil Science (Topic: Forest Soil Organic Matter)

Research Interests: Her work focuses on soil organic matter dynamics, global carbon cycles, and sustainable land use. She employs advanced techniques like 13C NMR spectroscopy and nanoSIMS to study soil-mineral interactions. Key areas include soil carbon sequestration, rhizosphere functions, and biogeochemical processes in paddy soils.

Grants & Projects:

• Coordinator of EU projects on pollutant transport and biodegradation (1994–2002)
• DFG Priority Programmes on soil carbon (SPP 1090) and biogeochemical interfaces (SPP 1315)
• BonaRes Centre for Soil Research (2016–2024)

Awards:

• German Environment Award (2019)
• Bavarian Maximilian Order (2018)
• Highly Cited Researcher (Clarivate, 2015–2019)

Labs/Teams: Leads interdisciplinary teams in soil science, collaborating with institutions like UFZ Halle, ZALF Müncheberg, and the European Geosciences Union.