Maja AKHALKATSI
graduated from the Tbilisi State University Faculty of Biology in 1981. Defended her PhD thesis in botany on “The ultrastructure of trichomes of Urticaceae family members” at the Komarov Botanical Institute (St. Petersburg, Russia) in 1986. Has worked as a researcher at the Institute of Botany National Academy of Sciences of Georgia since 1985 and has been head of department of Plant Genetic Resources since 2002. Chairman of NGO Georgian Society of Nature Explorers Orchis” (GSNE) during 1997-2011. Graduated postdoctoral certificate course of International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) from Portland University, Portland, Oregon, USA in 1997. Awardee of Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellowship in 1997-1999, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany. Has been member of the Botanical Society of the United States and Germany since 1997. Defended Doctor of Biological Science thesis on “Structural and functional aspects of plant reproductive strategies” at the Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences of Georgia in 2006. Major directions of her research: plant anatomy, morphology and reproduction, biodiversity, plant genetic resources, etc. Has published 88 research papers. Has been working at the Ilia State University since 2006 as full professor. Is a council member of School Natural Sciences and Engineering and founder of Botanical Society of Georgia since 2015