Dr Aster Gebrekirstos is a global scientist at the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), where she leads the Dendrochronology Laboratory. She is also a principle investigator, representing ICRAF, at the USAID-funded Africa RISING project and is involved in several other projects in Africa and Asia. She has over 20 years’ experience in research, tertiary-level teaching, and consulting. She also lectures at universities in Germany and at the West African Science Service Center on Climate Change (WASCAL) PhD programme in Côte d’Ivoire.
Her areas of specialization include dendroecology (tree ring analysis, stable isotopes and plant-climate interactions), plant ecophysiology (plant water relations, application of stable isotopes to the study of plant eco-physiological processes and global climate changes), tropical forest ecology and management (effects and consequences of global climate change on biodiversity and livelihoods), watershed management, agroforestry, reforestation and dryland restoration.
Dr Gebrekirstos established ICRAF’s Dendrochronology Laboratory in 2013 and the laboratory at Ethiopia’s Wondo Genet College of Forestry in 2010. She has published over 100 papers in international peer reviewed journals (including in Nature), as well as conference papers and book chapters.
She has supervised and trained many PhD and MSc students from across Africa (Ethiopia, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Togo, Ghana, Benin, and Côte d’Ivoire) and has organized several sessions and given keynote speeches and presentations at major international conferences.
In recognition of her research and contributions, Dr Gebrekirstos has received distinctions, notably, the prestigious AfriCAN Climate Award for excellence in research in climate change adaptation and mitigation in 2014. She wasrecognized by Economic Commission in Africa (ECA) in a book titled Earth, Oceans and Sky and featured among six African female scientists who seek to address some of the world’s most critical challenges in the area of agriculture, food security and climate change. and she was one of the scientists featured by Nature journal’s March 2023 issue Celebrate women in science – today, and every day.
She is an elected Fellow of The World Academy of sciences (TWAS) 2021; Elected Fellow of International Academy of Wood Science (IAWS) 2021;Elected Fellow of African Academy of Sciences (AAS) 2017; 2016 was conferred the Eleonore Trefftz Visiting Professorshipin recognition of outstanding research and contributions by the Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Technical University Dresden, Germany. She also received the 2009 Special Award for Ground Breaking Science – African wide Young Professionals and Women in Science Competitions organized by CTA, African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS), Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Forum for Agricultural Research (FARA), RUFORUM and New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).
She is the founding coordinator of the African Tree Ring Network (ATRN) (2023), Founding Board and Vice President of the International Union for Agroforestry (IUAF) (since 2019); Deputy coordinator of IUFRO Task Force on Global Tree Mortality Patterns and Trends; a member of the Mountain Research Institute Science Leadership Council (since 2016) and the PAGES Scientific leadership,and is a member of many societies.
Dr Gebrekirstos is an Ethiopian. She holds a Diploma and BSc in Forestry from Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Alemaya University in Ethiopia, respectively. She won the Netherlands Fellowship Program for her MSc at Wageningen University (1996–1998) and German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for her PhD at Gottingen University in Germany (2001–2005). Prior to that, she worked as graduate assistant at Alemaya University. After her MSc, she worked as a lecturer at Debub University Wondo Genet College of Forestry. After her PhD she worked as a post-doc in the department of Biophysics and Biochemistry at Umeå Univ, Sweden (2006–2008) and at World Agroforestry (ICRAF) in Nairobi and Göttingen University in Germany (2009–2011).
Also see:
Projects
- RISING voices: Aster Gebrekirstos (ICRAF) scientist for Africa RISING in Ethiopia
- Africa-RISING early win project – integrating tree, crops and livestock in Ethiopian landscapes
News
- Forests News – Q+A: What can trees tell us about environmental history and climate adaptation?
- Forests News – Celebrate women in science — today, and every day
- The Conversation – The war on Tigray wiped out decades of environmental progress: how to start again (2023)
Videos and podcasts
