Prof. Karen Lips, Ph.D

International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

Deputy Director General

Dr. Karen Lips is an American ecologist who studies global change biology. Her research focused on impacts of an invasive pathogen on biodiversity and ecosystem ecology in the U.S. and Latin America. Her work led to changes in national and international policy and emphasized the importance of scientific communication, public engagement, scientific leadership, and international collaboration. Dr. Lips joined IIASA as Deputy Director in 2024 where she leads scientific and educational programs, and oversees external relations, communications, and information management departments. From 2022-2024, Lips served as Program Director in the Office of International Science and Engineering at the U.S. National Science Foundation, managing funding programs supporting multilateral and multidisciplinary research to address global challenges. She was a Professor of Biology at the University of Maryland from 2009-2025 where she also directed the Graduate Program in Sustainable Development and Conservation Biology. She previously held professorships at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale and St. Lawrence University in New York.  As a Jefferson Science Fellow at the U.S. Department of State she worked on zoonotic disease programs in Latin America, biodiversity policy in Colombia, and supported educational exchange programs. Dr. Lips is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the Ecological Society of America. She received a B.S. in Zoology from the University of South Florida and a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Miami.