Emma Teeling

Full Professor Emma C. Teeling, B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D., MRIA
School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin

Prof. Emma Teeling is a world-class leader in the cross-cutting fields of mammalian phylogenetics and comparative genomics, with particular-expertise in bat biology. She established the Laboratory of Molecular Evolution and Mammalian Phylogenetics in 2005, is a Founding Director of the genome consortium Bat1K and the Full Professor of Zoology at University College Dublin, Ireland. She has pioneered and leads global research into the development of bats as new models for healthy ageing and disease tolerance.

She has been awarded prestigious personal grants to pursue this research- European Research Council (ERC) Starting grant (2013-2018), a Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), President of Ireland Young Researcher Award (2006-2012), an Irish Research Council (IRC) Laureate Award (2018-2022), and an SFI Future Frontiers Award (2020-2025). Her record of leadership and research excellence is demonstrated by her publication record of >119 internationally peer-reviewed papers, 6 book chapters, 4 invited subject reviews.

A number of these publications have over-turned conventional paradigms in mammalian biology and therefore have been published in high profile journals such as Nature (n=4), Science (n=5), Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (n=4), Nature Communications (n=2), Nature Ecology and Evolution (n=2), Science Advances (n=2). Her high standing in the international community is highlighted by a total citation record of 13,793 (Google Scholar 17/02/2023); prestigious international keynote lectures and public presentations (e.g. TED talk; >568,948 views; EU Parliament; World Economic Forum, Davos; BBC’s Science Club, NOVA documentary, Royal Institution Christmas Lectures); nomination to prestigious academic boards and institutes (e.g. Irish Research Council Board, 2015-2021; Member of Royal Irish Academy, 2016) and has been awarded Chevalier des Palmes Académiques, 2017 for her research in bat biology.