Plant Cell Walls

Dr. Geitmann investigates the role of the cell wall in plant reproduction and development. Her research focuses
on the cellular processes that lead to the formation of plant organs and functional tissues. She holds the Canada
Research Chair in Biomechanics of Plant Development and leads an interdisciplinary team of biologists and
engineers. Dr. Geitmann's research combines cell biology with engineering methodology and mathematical
concepts to reveal how the cell wall deforms during cell growth and to detect the forces involved. Her team has
developed sophisticated experimental and computational tools enabling researchers to study questions such as
how the pollen tube delivers the sperm cells during reproduction in plants and how plant cells change shape to
generate tissues with various functionalities.
Dr. Geitmann is the editor of the books 'Pollen and Pollen Tube Biology' (2020), 'Plant Biomechanics - From
Structure to Function at Multiple Scales' (2018), 'Cell Biology of Plant and Fungal Tip Growth' (2001). She
published 100+ journal articles and book chapters, and she has supervised more than 100 trainees. She has
organised numerous international conferences and workshops including a NATO Workshop on 'Tip Growth',
joint meetings between the American and Canadian Societies of Plant Biology, the '9th International Plant
Biomechanics Conference', and international workshops on 'Cell Wall Mechanics' and 'Multiscale Modeling of
Cell Wall Mechanics and Growth in Walled Cells' hosted by the Banff International Research Station. She is
frequently solicited to serve on the scientific advisory committees of international conferences on the plant cell
wall.
In 2013-2015, she served as President of the Microscopical Society of Canada and she was the President of the
Canadian Society of Plant Biologists in 2015-2017. She served as the President of the International Association
of Plant Reproduction Research in 2018-2022, and she is a member of the editorial and advisory boards of
multiple scientific journals including Cell, Plant Physiology, and Journal of Experimental Botany.
Anja Geitmann obtained her PhD in Environmental Biology in 1997 from the University of Siena (Italy),
following undergraduate and graduate studies in biology at the University of Constance (Germany), Oregon
State University (USA), and Stockholm University (Sweden). Between 1997 and 2001 she performed
postdoctoral research at the Universite Laval, Quebec, and at the University of Wageningen, The Netherlands.
From 2001 to 2015 she was Professor at the Department of Biological Sciences of the Universite de Montreal
and Scientist at the Institut de recherche en biologie vegetale. She taught Plant Anatomy, Microscopy, and
Scientific Communication at undergraduate and graduate levels. In 2015 Dr. Geitmann was appointed as the
Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Environment