Women at Work · Science and innovation
Ikram Blilou is a professor of Plant Science at KAUST, where her research examines root development and how plants adapt to challenging environments. Her work includes the study of date palms and the biological mechanisms that influence growth and resilience.
The work behind the profile
After doctoral study in Spain and research appointments in the Netherlands, she joined KAUST in 2017. Her team combines microscopy, plant transformation, genome editing and computational approaches to investigate plant development.
Her career gives the Women at Work series a view of the specialist expertise behind food and agricultural research in the Kingdom. Progress in this field depends on careful biological investigation over time, connecting basic knowledge of cells and roots with the longer-term challenge of growing crops in harsh conditions.
Source: KAUST · official page. Checked 16 October 2026. Image credit: KAUST.
Editorial profile based on publicly available sources.
