Susan Trumbore

Susan Trumbore is a distinguished Professor of Earth System Science at the University of California, Irvine, and a Director at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry in Germany. She holds an honorary professorship in Chemistry and Geology at Friedrich Schiller University, Jena. Trained in Geology (BS, University of Delaware, 1981) and Geochemistry (PhD, Columbia University, 1989), her career spans interdisciplinary research on carbon cycle dynamics, radiocarbon dating, and climate change.

Her research focuses on tracing carbon pathways in terrestrial ecosystems using radiocarbon, particularly in tropical regions like the Amazon. She co-leads initiatives such as the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO) and the Tanguro Flux Project, investigating deforestation impacts and carbon cycling. Awards include the Balzan Prize (2020), Benjamin Franklin Medal (2018), and membership in the U.S. and German National Academies.

Trumbore’s work bridges geology, ecology, and microbiology, addressing global challenges like soil carbon storage and climate modeling uncertainties. Her ERC Advanced Grant supports synthesizing soil carbon dynamics to improve climate predictions. She advocates for interdisciplinary science and climate mitigation strategies through carbon sequestration research.