Valerie Y. De Anda Torres is a National Geographic Explorer and Senior Scientist in the Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Microbial Oceanography Unit, at the University of Vienna. She was previously an Assistant Professor at the University of Florida and a Research Scientist at the University of Texas at Austin.
Her research focuses on the evolution of microbial metabolism in extreme environments, combining field expeditions, laboratory experiments, and computational biology. She investigates how microbes adapt to harsh conditions, catalyze rare biochemical reactions, and influence the evolution of cellular complexity. Her work has led to the discovery of novel bacterial and archaeal lineages, as well as the development of computational algorithms to predict microbial functions from large-scale genomic data. These advances provide insights into ecosystem functioning, climate resilience, pollutant bioremediation, and the search for life beyond Earth.
Valerie has been shortlisted for the Nature Inspiring Women in Science Award (Scientific Achievement) and received the FEMS-ASM Mäkelä-Cassell Award and the Early-Career Women Scientist Award. She earned her Ph.D. in Microbial Ecology and Evolution from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and her postdoctoral research at the University of Texas, Marine Science Institute UTMSI.
Cruises:
