Yonghua Li-Beisson awarded 2026 Terry Galliard Medal
Dr. Yonghua Li-Beisson, head of the team “Environment, Bioenergy, Microalgae and Plants” from the Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology of Aix-Marseille (CEA Cadarache), was awarded the Terry Galliard Medal on July 8, 2026, at the 27th International Symposium on Plant Lipids (ISPL) held in Málaga, Spain.
Presented every two years, the Terry Galliard Medal recognizes an outstanding scientist who has made exceptional contributions to plant lipid research, as selected by a vote of the international plant lipid research community. Dr. Li-Beisson was honored for her pioneering work on the biosynthesis of plant lipid polyesters and her significant contributions to the understanding of algal oil metabolism.
Established in 1994, the award commemorates the life and scientific legacy of the late Terry Galliard, one of the founders of modern plant lipid research. As part of the award ceremony, Dr. Li-Beisson delivered the Terry Galliard Lecture, entitled “A Lipid Journey: From Building Plant Lipid Polyesters to Algal Oil Metabolism”.
Comments from Dr. Li-Beisson:
“The Terry Galliard Medal is the highest distinction awarded to researchers in plant lipid science at the International Symposium on Plant Lipids, an international conference established in 1974. The medal was created in 1994 in memory of Terry Galliard, the founder of the symposium. Since its inception, it has been awarded to only sixteen researchers worldwide. I am deeply honored to be the first French scientist and only the second woman to receive this distinction.
This award recognizes 28 years of collaborative research on plant and algal lipids. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the mentors, colleagues, students, and collaborators who have contributed to this work. I am especially grateful to the plant lipid and Chlamydomonas communities, and to my team members and colleagues at the BIAM Institute, CEA Cadarache, whose support and scientific collaborations have made this achievement possible.”
