Ewine van Dishoeck earned her Bachelor’s in Chemistry in 1976, followed by two Master’s degrees in Chemistry and Mathematics from Leiden University. She completed her Ph.D. in 1984, specializing in interstellar molecules.
Her research uniquely bridges chemistry, physics, and astronomy, focusing on the role of molecules in star and planet formation, particularly the origins of water in space. She has been heavily involved in the planning of major new telescopes like ALMA and JWST to study molecular clouds and planetary systems.
Ewine van Dishoeck has received numerous prizes and honors, including the Kavli Prize for astrophysics in 2018, the highest scientific award in this field worldwide. She also received the Spinoza Prize in 2000, the highest academic award in the Netherlands. From 2018 to 2021, Ewine van Dishoeck served as the President of the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
