BERLIN, GERMANY — The Alliance for Wheat Adaption to Heat and Drought (AHEAD) announced on Sept. 9 that Stefanie Hagemann, PhD, is the organization’s new global coordinator. 

AHEAD was founded in 2020 to concentrate science expertise to face growing issues of wheat crop cultivation in terms of climate crisis. In this context, AHEAD is focusing on promoting an international science network to adapt wheat production to problems caused by heat and drought. 

Under the Wheat Initiative, an international body coordinating global wheat research, the AHEAD network builds up intersections between scientists and different stakeholders from economic, policy and non-governmental sectors in order to expand the network and to reach as many people as possible worldwide to share expertise and knowledge about possible ways to adapt wheat to tolerate heat and drought. 

“The world is facing many problems in different sectors caused by climate change,” Hagemann said. “These problems cannot be solved by on person alone, one country or even one continent. We have to cross borders and come together to reach for the best possible outcome.

“AHEAD is one piece of the great puzzle of organizations, which are tackling this problem already, bringing specialists for wheat, heat and drought together on a global level. It’s a great chance to solve issues caused by climate change and I am happy to support that in my future contribution in the AHEAD organization.”

Prior to accepting the role with AHEAD, Hagemann, who has a background in immunology, managed a project for the development of human antibodies for a biotechnology company in Brunswick, Germany.