Prof. Bill S. Hansson, former Vice President of the Max Planck Society, is internationally recognized for his contributions to the fields of insect chemical ecology and neuroethology. His scientific impact is evidenced by an extensive publication record, featuring over 300 peer-reviewed articles in leading international journals such as Nature, Science, and Cell, which have garnered more than 30,000 citations. He holds numerous prestigious academic titles, including being an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Academia Europaea, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the Royal Entomological Society, the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry, the Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters and the African Academy of Sciences. Prof. Hansson has made groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of insect chemical ecology, evolutionary neuroethology, behavioral ecology, and insect olfaction.
His research program is centered on deciphering the neurobiological mechanisms underlying insect olfaction and its ecological and evolutionary significance. A major focus of his work involves mapping the neural circuitry and molecular basis of odor-guided behaviors, such as host-plant selection in insects and deceptive pollination in plants. Professor Hansson's seminal contributions have established foundational concepts in the field. These include the early functional characterization of olfactory glomeruli as key processing units in the insect brain (1992), the dissection of the olfactory co-receptor (Orco) complex in Drosophila (2008), and the recent discovery of a cannibalism-suppressing pheromone in locusts using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, which revealed a novel olfactory coding principle.
Professor Hansson maintains a strong commitment to international scientific collaboration, particularly with China. He serves as an Honorary Professor at Nanjing Agricultural University (since 2023) and as a member of the International Advisory Committee of Hainan University (since 2022), actively promoting joint research initiatives and talent development in agricultural pest management and insect chemical ecology. In 2025, he visited the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), further strengthening collaborative research ties with leading Chinese experts in chemical ecology and sustainable agriculture.
1. Academic education and degrees
Professor, honorary Nanjing AgriculturalUniversity, China, 2023
Professor, guest SLU, May 2021, ChemicalEcology
Professor, honorary Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, 2010
Professor, recruited SLU, March 2001, Chemical Ecology
Professor, promoted Lund University, April 2000, ChemicalEcology
Ecology Docent Lund University, August 1992, Ecology
Ph. D., Lund University, October 1988, Ecology
B. Sc., Lund University, May 1982, Biology
2. Positions held
May 2021 - Guest professor (20%), atThe Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp
Jun 2014 - Jun 2020 Vice President, the Max Planck Society
Jan 2011 - Jun 2014 Managing Director, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
Apr 2006 - Director, Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
Apr 2006 - June 2016 Guest professor, scientific leader (-2010) and partner in the ICE3 Linnaeus research program atThe Swedish University
for Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp
Jan 2003 - Jan 2006 Associate dean of the faculty for Landscape planning Horticulture and Agricultural Sciences with specific responsibility
for research and graduate studies
Mar 2001 - Jan 2006 Professor and Head of Chemical Ecology, The Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences
Apr 2000 - Promoted Professor Chemical Ecology, Lund University
Mar 1995 - Mar 2001 Särskild forskartjänst i Neurobiologi
(Associate Professor with tenure, Neurobiology), Lund University
Aug 1992 - Docent (Associate professor), Lund University
Aug 1990 - Mar 1995 Forskarassistent (Assistant professor), Lund University
Apr 1989 - Aug 1990 Post-doctoral research associate at Arizona Research Laboratories, Division of Neurobiology, University of Arizona
3. Scientific awards
(1). The Takasago International Research Award in Olfactory Science (1998)
(2). The Belgian Royal Academy of Sciences JM Delwart Award in Chemical Communication (2000)
(3). The Royal Swedish Academy of Science Letterstedt Prize (2009)
(4). The AChemS Givaudan Lecture Award, BingZhi Professorship of the Chinese Academy of Sciences,Zoology (2013)
(5). The ISCE Silverstein-Simeone Lecture Award (2014)
(6). The Ellis Island Medal of Honor, Honorary Doctor (Dr. h.c.) at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) (2016)
(7). The Jubilee Medal of the Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters, Honorary Doctor (Dr. h.c.) at the Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague (2017)
(8). The Jubilee icipe Achievement Award, Nairobi, Kenya (2020)
(9). The Gold Medal of the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry, Stockholm, Sweden (2020)
(10).The Cross of Merit 1st Class of the German Republic (2021)
4.Main Publications
Jiang XC, Dimitriou E, Grabe V, Sun R, Chang HT, Zhang YF, Gershenzon J, Rybak J, Hansson BS*, Sachse S*. 2024. Ring-shaped odor coding in the antennal lobe of migratory locusts. Cell 187: 3973-3991.
Chang HT, Cassau S, Krieger J, Guo XJ, Knaden M, Kang L, Hansson BS*. 2023. A chemical defense deters cannibalism in migratory locusts. Science 380:537-543.
Stensmyr M, Dweck HK, Farhan A, Ibba I, Strutz A, Mukunda L, Linz J, Grabe V, Steck K, Lavista-Llanos S, Wicher D, Sachse S, Knaden M, Becher PG, Seki Y, Hansson BS*. 2012. A conserved dedicated olfactory circuit for detecting harmful microbes in Drosophila. Cell 151:1345-1357.
Hansson BS*, Ljungberg H, Hallberg E, Lofstedt C. 1992. Functional specialization of olfactory glomeruli in a moth. Science 256 (5061): 1313-1315.
Stensmyr MC, Urru I, Collu I, Celander M, Hansson BS*, Angioy AM. 2002. Pollination: Rotting smell of dead-horse arum florets, Nature 420 (6916): 625-626.
Wicher D, Schäfer R, Bauernfeind R, Stensmyr MC, Heller R, Heinemann SH, Hansson BS*. 2008. Drosophila odorant receptors are both ligand-gated and cyclic nucleotide-activated cation channels. Nature 452:1007-101
5.Main Patent
Wicher D, Hansson BS. 2008. A test system for detecting intracellular cyclic nucleotide level and methods and uses thereof. Europäische Patentanmeldung EP 08 007 140.0