Loeske Kruuk facts for kids

Loeske E. B. Kruuk is a leading scientist who studies how living things change over time. This field is called evolutionary ecology. She is a special professor at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. In 2023, she became a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a very high honor for scientists. She also won the President's Award from the European Society for Evolutionary Biology in 2018.

Her Journey in Science

Starting with Numbers

Loeske Kruuk began her university studies in 1988 at the University of Oxford. She first focused on math. But soon, she discovered a passion for understanding living things.

Switching to Biology

She decided to change her path and study ecology, which is about how living things interact with their environment. She earned a master's degree in ecology. Later, she got her PhD from the University of Edinburgh. For her PhD, she studied how different groups of amphibians mix together.

Studying Wild Animals

After her PhD, she worked as a researcher at the University of Cambridge and again at the University of Edinburgh. During this time, she studied red deer. She learned how their traits change over generations. This work helped her see how important it is to study wild animals for a long time. It helps scientists understand how animals evolve and adapt.

Her Research and Career

Becoming a Professor

In 2000, Loeske Kruuk received a special research fellowship. This allowed her to continue her work at the University of Edinburgh. By 2009, she became a full professor. This means she leads her own research and teaches students.

Researching in Australia

In 2012, she moved to the Australian National University. There, she received a special fellowship to continue her research. Her team studied how climate change affects animal populations. They looked at wild animals, especially how they evolve and adapt to changes in their environment. She also studied how inbreeding affects animal health. In 2020, she received another important fellowship in Australia.

Back to Edinburgh

In 2021, Loeske Kruuk was chosen as a Royal Society Research Professor. This allowed her to return to the University of Edinburgh. Now, she continues to research how environmental changes impact wild animal populations. She helps us understand how animals can survive in a changing world.

Sharing Knowledge

She also works as an editor for a science magazine called Proceedings of the Royal Society Series B Biological Sciences. This means she helps decide which new scientific discoveries get published.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Loeske Kruuk has received many awards for her important work:

• 2023: Became a Fellow of the Royal Society.
• 2021: Named a Royal Society Research Professor.
• 2020: Awarded the Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship.
• 2018: Received the President's Award from the European Society for Evolutionary Biology.
• 2015: Won the Mary Lyon Medal from The Genetics Society.
• 2014: Became a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization.
• 2012: Awarded the Australian Research Council Future Fellowship.
• 2012: Became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
• 2008: Received the Scientific Medal from the Zoological Society of London.
• 2006: Won the Philip Leverhulme Prize.