TERRY GALLIARD MEDAL

The Terry Galliard Medal 2026 has been awarded to Yonghua Li-Beisson.

Dr. Li-Beisson is a biologist specialized in lipid metabolism. She obtained her PhD working on lipid metabolism in oleaginous filamentous fungi in the laboratory of Colin Ratledge (UK), where her research highlighted the importance of reducing power via the malic enzyme in stimulating de novo fatty acid biosynthesis. She subsequently carried out postdoctoral research with John Ohlrogge at Michigan State University (USA), focusing on lipid metabolism in Arabidopsis thaliana, where she contributed to key discoveries on the biosynthesis and export of cutin and suberin monomers.

At CEA Cadarache, her research has focused on photosynthetic carbon metabolism in microalgae, with the aim of understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the conversion of light energy into chemical energy stored in lipids and starch. Her work addresses the subcellular energetics and compartmentalization governing CO2 capture and carbon flux into fatty acids and lipid droplets. A major focus of her current research is the biogenesis and turnover of lipid droplets in response to environmental fluctuations. More broadly, her research integrates microalgal metabolism, physiology, and biotechnology in the context of bioenergy and the circular carbon economy.

In addition to her research, Dr. Li-Beisson serves on the editorial boards of Plant Cell and Plant Cell and Physiology, and on the advisory board of New Phytologist. She leads the team on algal photosynthesis and metabolism and directs the European platform HelioBiotec.

Following the award ceremony, the award lecture will be entitled:
“A Lipid Journey: From Plant Surface Polymers to Microalgal Oil Metabolism”.

Terry Galliard Medal – Nominees and Voting Process:

Following a evaluation of all nominations received, we are pleased to announce the candidates selected for the Terry Galliard Medal:

• Antoni Banas – Department of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Gdansk, Poland
• Peter Dörmann – Institute of Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology of Plants (IMBIO), University of Bonn, Germany
• Peter Eastmond – Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, United Kingdom
• Yonghua Li-Beisson – CEA Cadarache / Aix-Marseille University, France
• Sébastien Mongrand – Laboratoire de Biogenèse Membranaire (LBM), CNRS / University of Bordeaux, France
• Ruth Welti – Department of Biology and Kansas Lipidomics Research Center, Kansas State University, USA

 The coversheets for each nomination are available in a single document, which can be downloaded at the following link: HERE

We are now ready to begin the voting process.

Votes should be submitted by email to the dedicated address: ispl2026.awards@ig.csic.es

Please follow these instructions when voting:

• Include “Terry Galliard Medal” in the subject line of your email.
• Indicate whether you have previously participated in an ISPL meeting.
• Clearly state the name of the nominee you consider most deserving of the award.

Votes will be accepted until April 5.

All votes will be collected and counted by a team external to the ISPL community.

At each ISPL meeting, the international plant lipid research community honors the career achievements of an outstanding scientist in this field through the presentation of the Terry Galliard Medal. This award commemorates Terry Galliard, who founded the ISPL conference in 1974.

Nominations are now open for the Terry Galliard Award/Medal.

Nomination materials must be submitted by March 15, 2026, and should be sent by email to jjsalasispl26@ig.csic.es. The International Scientific Committee will review all nominations, and the awardee will be elected by a vote of the ISPL community. Please note that all nominators will remain anonymous. The recipient of the award will be invited to deliver an oral presentation as part of the conference program.

Nominations for the 27th ISPL Terry Galliard Award should be limited to one A4 page and include the following information:

• A brief summary of the nominee’s career achievements
• Highlights of the nominee’s key contributions and major impact on the field of plant lipid research
• The proposed topic for the Terry Galliard Lecture, if selected

Terry Galliard Medal Laureates: