The Environmental Change Institute (ECI) at the University of Oxford is delighted to announce that Professor Yadvinder Malhi has been awarded the prestigious Ramon Margalef Prize in Ecology, one of the world’s foremost honours in ecological science.
Presented annually by the Government of Catalonia, the prize recognises an exceptional scientific career or groundbreaking discovery in ecology or environmental sciences. Since its inception in 2004, it has celebrated a distinguished list of global ecologists.
The jury commended Professor Malhi for his pioneering research on tropical forest ecosystems, particularly for integrating functional and biodiversity perspectives and for his leadership in developing long-term ecological research networks across the tropics. The award also honours his commitment to global equity in science, including his efforts to support researchers in the Global South through collaborative and inclusive approaches.
The prize includes a generous honorarium and a sculpture representing Picarola margalefii, a microalga named in honour of Ramon Margalef, one of the founders of modern ecology. The formal presentation ceremony will take place in October in Barcelona, where the prize will be conferred by the President of Catalonia.
Professor Malhi, who is the Biodiversity and Ecosystems Programme Lead at the ECI, and also Director of the University of Oxford’s Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, said:
It is a great honour to receive the Ramon Margalef Prize. I am deeply grateful to my collaborators, students, and colleagues around the world who have been part of this scientific journey.”
Professor Michael Obersteiner, Director of the ECI, added: “This is fantastic news and very well-deserved. Yadvinder’s foundational contributions have shaped modern ecological science worldwide.”
Find out more about the Ramon Margalef Prize.