Introduction
Professor Susanne von Caemmerer was born in Freiburg in Breisgau, Baden Würtenberg, Germany. She arrived in Canberra on a gap year in 1974 and, because the Australian National University offered more options for study, fewer students and fewer rules, decided to stay and finish her BA (Hons) in Pure Mathematics in 1976, and her PhD in Plant Physiology in 1981. She is now Professor of Molecular Plant Physiology at the Research School of Biology.
Professor von Caemmerer’s work focuses on photosynthesis and stomatal function, with an emphasis on the mathematical modelling of the carbon acquisition of plants, the biochemistry of carbon dioxide fixation and the regulation of carbon dioxide diffusion in leaves. She was part of a team that presented a mathematical model of the biochemistry of leaf photosynthesis. Her modelling approaches have been influential and are used extensively by researchers in fields ranging from ecology to crop modelling and global climate change, while her innovative use of molecular technologies to study physiological questions has led to numerous new insights into stomatal and photosynthetic regulation.
In this interview, Professor von Caemmerer discusses what inspires her in mathematics and plant biology, her decision to stay and work in Australia, mentors, colleagues, international collaborators, and the global impact of her work. She recalls the challenges and opportunities of her early career when she was one of few women in her field, recognition by the Australian and German Academies of Science and the Royal Society of London and talks about what is next, both in her research and for science in Australia.
