Aleksandra Trifunovic new member of European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO)

With her inclusion in the EMBO, the European organisation is honouring Trifunovic for her special achievements in bioscientific research

The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) has accepted molecular biologist Professor Dr Aleksandra Trifunovic from the Institute of Mitochondrial Ageing & Disease at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Cologne and the CECAD Cluster of Excellence for Ageing Research as a new member together with other internationally renowned scientists from Europe.
The selection by the EMBO is based on scientific excellence and groundbreaking research achievements of the newly accepted members. Trifunovic receives the award for her pioneering work in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the accumulation of mitochondrial DNA mutations and the quality control of cell organelles, as well as their role in disease and ageing. Her pioneering work on the role of mitochondria and mitochondrial DNA metabolism in the ageing process led to a paradigm shift and opened up a completely new field of research (Nature 2004, Cell Metabolism 2009, 2010).

Trifunovic made decisive contributions in the field of mitochondrial quality control. She deciphered the central role of the mitochondrial matrix protease CLPP in the regulation of mitochondrial homeostasis (EMBO Journal 2016, EMBO Reports 2016, Nature Communications 2020, Brain 2021). She also provided valuable insights into the mitochondrial stress response (mitoISR) by uncovering the intricate interactions that regulate these signalling cascades and thus influence the extent of perturbations (Cell Metabolism 2014, Science Advances 2021, 2022). Overall, her work highlights the complexity of mitochondrial stress responses in the context of tissue specificity and dose dependence. In close collaboration with the research group of Professor Dr Manolis Pasparakis, Trifunovic recently discovered a novel role of mitochondria in the transport regulation of dietary lipids from intestinal cells (enterocytes) to adjacent organs (Nature 2024).

Aleksandra Trifunovic, born in 1971, studied biology at the University of Belgrade, where she gained her doctorate in molecular biology and biochemistry in 2000. She initially worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm before becoming an assistant professor there in 2006. In 2009, she was hired as head of a research group at CECAD as part of the Excellence Initiative and was appointed Professor of Mitochondrial Diseases and Ageing at the Medical Faculty of the University of Cologne in 2014. Trifunovic is currently Head of Research Area 1 and Coordinator of the Core Facilities of the Cluster of Excellence CECAD. She has also organised several international conferences and works for various specialist journals.

Aleksandra Trifunovic has already received high-level funding for her research work, including the ERC Starter/Consolidator Grant in 2012 and the ERC Proof of Concept Grant in 2018.

The European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO) was officially founded in 1964. Its members include more than 1,800 internationally renowned scientists from the field of life sciences. To date, a total of 88 Nobel Prize winners have been members of EMBO. The EMBO supports outstanding young scientists and promotes scientific exchange in the field of life sciences.

https://www.cecad.uni-koeln.de/research/principal-investigators/full-members/aleksandra-trifunovic
https://www.embo.org/press-releases/outstanding-scientists-elected-to-embo-membership/

Photo info:
Prof. Dr. Aleksandra Trifunovic, Photo: Ludolf Dahmen