Researchers from Oxford University are now part of the European Molecular Biology Organization.
In a significant recognition of their outstanding achievements, two academics from the University of Oxford have been elected as Members of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) in 2025. The new members are Professor Matt Higgins and Dr. Clemens Plaschka.
Founded in 1964, EMBO is a membership organization that promotes life sciences across Europe and helps to ensure that scientific research is unconstrained by national borders. The organization supports the launch of independent research and fosters collaboration among life scientists across Europe and beyond.
Professor Higgins, who holds the EP Abraham Chair of Structural Biology between Oxford's Department of Biochemistry, the Kavli Institute for NanoScience Discovery, and the Dunn School of Pathology, is one of the newly elected EMBO Members. His research, conducted in collaboration with a remarkable research team, focuses on structural biology.
Professor Ana Domingos from the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics (DPAG) at the University of Oxford, has also been elected as an EMBO Member. Her research is focused on discovering neurons outside the brain that burn body fat. EMBO played a significant role in supporting the launch of Professor Domingos' independent research.
The 60 new EMBO Members in 2025 are based in 18 member states of the EMBC, the intergovernmental organization that funds the main EMBO Programmes and activities. The new members and nine EMBO Associate Members were elected in recognition of their outstanding achievements in various fields, including RNA, plant biology, epidemiology, and molecular medicine, among others.
The EMBO Membership consists of over 2,100 life scientists across Europe and around the world. Each year, new members are selected through nomination and election by the existing EMBO Membership. The process ensures the representation of diverse research fields responds to emerging trends.
The new EMBO Members and Associate Members will be formally welcomed at the next EMBO Members' Meeting in Heidelberg, Germany, on 22nd-24th October 2025. This meeting provides an opportunity for the new members to network, share their research, and collaborate with other leading scientists in the field.
The election of Professor Higgins, Professor Domingos, and the other new EMBO Members is a testament to the University of Oxford's commitment to excellence in scientific research and its contribution to the advancement of life sciences across Europe and beyond.
- Professor Matt Higgins, a structural biologist at the University of Oxford, often incorporates aspects of fitness and exercise, health and wellness, and nutrition into his research, as he strives to understand the molecular structures involved in various medical-conditions and healthy-diets.
- Recognizing the groundbreaking work in plant biology and epidemiology, including RNA and molecular medicine, EMBO has appointed several new members from universities across Europe, further bolstering the advancement of science and health-related fields.
- As a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), Professor Ana Domingos from the University of Oxford conducts research on neurons outside the brain that burn body fat, which she believes will have significant implications for medical-conditions and fitness-and-exercise in the future.
