Paulien Hogeweg facts for kids

Paulien Hogeweg (born 1943) is a Dutch scientist. She is a theoretical biologist, which means she uses math and computers to understand how living things work. She studies how biological systems, like cells or animals, process information. In 1970, with another scientist named Ben Hesper, she created the word "bioinformatics". They said it was "the study of information processes in living systems."

Early Life and Education

Paulien Hogeweg was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands. She earned her master's degree from the University of Amsterdam in 1969. During her studies, she wrote about water plants. Her work was titled Structure of aquatic vegetation: a comparison of aquatic vegetation in India, the Netherlands and Czechoslovakia.

After her master's, she started her Ph.D. studies at Utrecht University. She published seven articles based on this work. In 1976, she received her Ph.D. Her thesis was called "Topics in Biological Pattern Analysis." It focused on how patterns form and are recognized in biology.

Career Highlights

After getting her master's degree, Paulien Hogeweg volunteered at a lab at Leiden University. There, she met Ben Hesper. Together, they came up with the term "Bioinformatics." They defined it as "the study of information processes in living systems."

In 1977, Hogeweg and Hesper opened a research lab. This lab was dedicated to bioinformatics. In 1990, Hogeweg published an important paper. It was about how life might have started on Earth. The paper was called Spiral wave structure in pre-biotic evolution hypercycle stable against parasites.

In 1991, Hogeweg became a full professor. She taught Theoretical Biology at Utrecht University. Since 2008, she has been an Honorary Professor there. This means she is still connected to the university. As of 2025, Paulien Hogeweg was chosen as an EMBO member. This honor recognizes her amazing work in bioinformatics and theoretical biology. She has also been an editor for several science journals.

Research and Discoveries

Paulien Hogeweg has done a lot of important research. She was one of the first to use computer models to study how animals behave. She looked at how social groups form. Her ideas helped create the field of artificial life.

When the first biological sequence data became available, she developed new ways to compare DNA and RNA sequences. This method is now used often to understand how different species are related. She also found ways to predict how RNA molecules fold. This helps scientists understand their function.

She was also a pioneer in using cellular automata. These are simple computer models that show how patterns change over time. She used them to study how living things interact with their environment. She showed that patterns in space can change how evolution works.

Hogeweg also used a model called the Cellular Potts model (CPM). She used it to study how living things develop. For example, she modeled the entire life cycle of a slime mold called Dictyostelium discoideum. This CPM approach is now used in many areas of biology. It helps scientists understand how cells move and how bodies develop.

In recent years, Hogeweg has continued her research. She studies how different species evolve together. She also looks at how genes are organized and how they control life processes. Her work shows how RNA can become more complex. This happens through its structure and how it forms patterns in space.

Collaborations and Impact

Paulien Hogeweg has worked with many different research groups. She has helped develop computer methods. For example, her algorithm for comparing multiple DNA sequences is now a standard tool. Most importantly, her work has greatly shaped the field of bioinformatics. She has helped us understand how information works in living systems.