Madeleine van Oppen is an ecological geneticist and expert on microbial symbiosis and climate change adaptation of reef corals. Her fundamental research has revealed several mechanisms by which corals adapt or acclimatise to environmental change, including those mediated by their microbial symbionts. Building on these discoveries, van Oppen developed a platform of innovative assisted evolution technologies that harness the natural adaptive mechanisms to enhance coral climate resilience. These technologies have become a critical element of coral reef restoration research in Australia and overseas.