It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Professor Yehuda Cohen, a founding figure of the International Society for Microbial Ecology and one of the architects of modern microbial ecology.
Yehuda was not only a pioneering scientist whose work shaped our understanding of microbial ecology, but also a visionary leader who helped build the institutions that continue to define our field. As ISME President, he played a central role in guiding the Society during formative years, helping establish its scientific identity and international reach.
Perhaps most enduringly, Yehuda was one of the founding forces behind The ISME Journal, our flagship publication. Together with Staffan Kjelleberg, Hans Van Veen and Hilary Lappin-Scott, he transformed the vision of a dedicated microbial ecology journal into reality. Their leadership gave the field a scholarly home that has since become one of the most influential journals in environmental microbiology. Yehuda’s vision helped establish a platform that continues to shape scientific discourse worldwide.
Beyond his institutional leadership, Yehuda inspired generations of microbial ecologists through his scholarship, mentorship, and intellectual generosity. His scientific contributions extended across microbial diversity, ecology, and environmental microbiology, helping define the foundations upon which much of today’s work builds and with a focus on microbial mats and physiological ecology of microbial communities. He was also Professor at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Professor at the Nanyang Technological University, and the Deputy Director of the Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering – SCELSE
It is particularly meaningful that Yehuda has insipired the creation of the new ISME Award, the ISME Fellows (to be announced soon), one of the highest honors bestowed by our Society. Not only has he inspired this new honor, but he was selected as part of the inaugural cohort of the ISME Fellows – class of 2026. The creation of the ISME Fellow distinction reflects the values he embodied: scientific excellence, leadership, service, and lasting impact on our community. That he will be formally recognized in this first cohort is both fitting and deeply symbolic.
Yehuda’s legacy lives on in the institutions he helped create, the journal he helped found, the scientists he mentored, and the global community he strengthened. ISME would not be what it is today without his vision and dedication.
On behalf of the International Society for Microbial Ecology, we extend our deepest condolences to his family, colleagues, friends and former students.
His contributions will continue to guide and inspire us.
Photo from left to right: Jim Tiedje, Yehuda Cohen, Staffan Kjelleberg, Hilary Lappin-Scott, Steve Lindow, and Michael Wagner at ISME14 which was held in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2012.
Photo from left to right: Jim Tiedje, Yehuda Cohen, Staffan Kjelleberg, Hilary Lappin-Scott, Steve Lindow. and Michael Wagner at ISME15 which was held in Seoul, South Korea in 2014.