Congratulations to Distinguished Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology Jodi Nunnari for being named as one of the newly elected members to the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).

“The new members have contributed to the success of research in the life sciences in Europe and around the world,” said EMBO Director Maria Leptin in a press release. “As EMBO members they can help to shape the future through EMBO’s work to support talented researchers, bring ideas together, and promote an international research environment conducive to excellent science.”

Nunnari studies mitochondria, tiny structures that provide energy to living cells and are implicated in a wide range of diseases, including heart disease, stroke and inherited conditions.

“My group is interested in the mechanisms underlying mitochondrial behavior in cells,” Nunnari wrote in her EMBO profile. “We are focused on understanding the roles of ER-mitochondria contact sites in mitochondrial function, including mitochondrial DNA copy number control and the organization of mitochondrial metabolic pathways.”

In addition to research and teaching, Nunnari is department chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology in the UC Davis College of Biological Sciences.  

Founded in 1963, EMBO counts more than 1,800 members among its ranks. The organization aims to “promote excellence in the life sciences in Europe and beyond.”

Nunnari joins 52 new members and 11 new associate members. The newly elected members, 44 percent of who are women, are from 25 different countries.