Associate Professor – UGent
Prof. Jana Asselman is an Associate Professor at Ghent University and head of the Blue Growth Research Lab. Her research focuses on understanding the impacts of environmental stressors on aquatic ecosystems and developing innovative solutions for a sustainable blue bio-economy. She combines ecotoxicology, molecular biology, biotechnology to address major environmental challenges in marine and freshwater systems and find novel molecules from marine resources for health and environment applications.
Over the course of her academic career, she has built an internationally recognized research program spanning environmental genomics, microplastics and marine biotechnology. She has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications.
Leadership and International Collaboration
Prof. Asselman plays an active role in several international research initiatives including EMBRC, EUREMAP and partnerships such as PARC. She serves as Vice-Chair of Marine@UGent and is board member of Marine@UGent Korea. She is involved in numerous European and international projects focused on marine biotechnology and environmental toxicology. She collaborates extensively with academic institutions, industry partners and governmental organizations across Europe, USA, Africa and Asia to translate scientific knowledge into practical solutions for environmental and societal challenges.
Education and Supervision
Prof. Asselman is committed to educating the next generation of scientists. She teaches courses in marine and environmental sciences and supervises a diverse group of PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers and master’s students. Her mentoring philosophy emphasizes scientific excellence, interdisciplinary collaboration and societal impact.
Prof. Jana Asselman is author of the Plastic Paradox, a unique non-fiction book for the general audience combining science and storytelling.
Few materials have shaped modern society as profoundly as plastic. How can one material simultaneously represent innovation and progress, while also raising some of the most pressing sustainability challenges of our time? The Plastic Paradox explores that question.
Rather than approaching plastics as either a miracle material or a global villain, this book examines the full story. It traces the historical development of plastics, explains the chemistry behind polymers, explores their role in industry and society, and discusses topics ranging from microplastics and human health to recycling, circular economy strategies and emerging bio-based alternatives. Throughout the book, scientific evidence, historical perspectives and policy developments are brought together to provide a balanced and accessible overview of a subject that is often reduced to simplistic narratives. The goal is not to provide easy answers, but to better understand the complexity of the challenges and opportunities that plastics present.
Interwoven between the scientific chapters are nine short fictional stories. In these stories, plastic never takes centre stage. Instead, it appears quietly in the background—as it does in our own lives. Together, these stories offer moments of reflection and remind us that the discussion about plastics is ultimately also a discussion about people, choices, innovation and responsibility.
At its core, The Plastic Paradox is a book about nuance. About looking beyond headlines and assumptions. About understanding how a material can simultaneously be part of the problem and part of the solution.
The Plastic Paradox will published by Lannoo in September 2026 and can be pre-ordered here: https://www.lannoo.com/nl-be/kennis-wetenschap-natuur/de-plasticparadox-9789059961562
