Dr. Verena Meraldi | Chief Scientist
From becoming the cruise industry's first Chief Scientist to helping shape and grow HX's Science & Education Programme, Verena has spent nearly two decades bringing science, exploration, and people closer together.
Driven by curiosity, inspired by what comes next
A Swiss-Mexican biologist, lifelong explorer, and passionate birdwatcher and photographer, Verena believes that the more closely we look at the natural world, the more we understand it, and the more we want to safeguard it. Born in Mexico City, she studied biology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) before moving to Switzerland, where she completed a PhD in Immunology at the University of Lausanne and went on to work at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. Her journey with HX began in 2007 as a lecturer – the same year she first travelled to Antarctica. That experience proved transformative. Seeing firsthand how encountering a place as extraordinary as Antarctica could change the way people think about our planet convinced her that expedition travel could be a powerful force for understanding and conservation.
What is the best thing about your job?
“What I love most about my role is that I am constantly learning. I get to work alongside scientists from so many different fields, discover more about how our planet works, and understand the changes taking place around us. But for me, the most rewarding part is sharing that knowledge with our guests, sparking their curiosity, encouraging them to look a little closer, and, hopefully, helping them leave seeing the world differently. Because the more we understand about our planet, the more reason we have to care about its future.”
– Dr Verena Meraldi, Chief Scientist
What keeps me curious
As chief scientist at HX Expeditions, Verena leads the development of the Science & Education Programme, connecting the scientific community with our ships, our onboard teams, and, importantly, our guests. When Verena first joined HX in 2007, onboard education centred largely around lectures on the wildlife, history, and geography of the destinations visited. But she quickly discovered that guests wanted to go further: to ask questions, investigate for themselves, meet scientists, participate, and better understand what they were experiencing. That curiosity helped shape the programme we have today. Science & Education is now an integral part of the HX expedition experience, combining destination-specific learning, hands-on activities, citizen science, and opportunities to engage directly with scientists and their research.
