ENDORSE

Luc Bussière

University of Gothenburg

Luc is an evolutionary biologist with a proven track record in measuring selection and evolution in quantitative traits for both lab and field systems. His previous research has addressed what maintains genetic variation despite strong selection and described the importance of genotype-by-environment interactions for this process.

 

Ricardo Polanczyk

São Paulo State University (UNESP) Jaboticabal

Ricardo is an entomologist studying pest susceptibility to entomopathogens (mainly fungi and bacteria) and the relationship between them and pest natural enemies (parasitoids and predators). His lab and field research emphasises the role of fungi and bacteria in IPM systems to provide more sustainable agriculture.

 

Matthew Tinsley

University of Stirling

Matthew investigates insect host-pathogen interactions from molecular to ecological scales. His work demonstrates widespread genetic variation for pathogen susceptibility in wild insect populations and how immune defence costs maintain polymorphism. He studies novel impacts of age on infection resistance and how inbreeding compromises immunity.

 

Brad Duthie

University of Stirling

Brad is a theoretical biologist studying ecological and evolutionary systems. He has previously modelled evolutionary dynamics of inbreeding given complex genetic architectures and population pedigrees, ecological interactions of species on spatially explicit landscapes, and developed software to model population management.

 

 

Belinda Luke

CABI UK

Belinda is the Head of Biopesticides at CABI and has 22 years experience working with fungi, including on lab-scale mass production, storage, formulation and quality control of Metarhizium and Beauveria. Her work includes 2 projects that led to a commercial product: Green Muscle, registered in Africa, and a Beauveria product currently being registered for the EU.

 

Leonardo Fraceto

São Paulo State University (UNESP) Sorocaba

Leonardo develops micro- and nanocarrier systems for encapsulating bioactive compounds, including pest control solutions like biopesticide fungi. He has patents for technologies greatly reducing the required concentrations of active compounds. He leads a FAPESP thematic project involving Agriculture, Microtechnology and Environment.

 

Renata de Lima

Sorocaba University

Renata researches Nanotechnology, Mutagenesis and Genetics, with a track-record in measuring the ecotoxicology of nanocomposites, agrochemicals, and biocides. She provides invaluable expertise on improving the persistence of fungal biopesticides without risking adverse side-effects of the formulations for other organisms.

 

Rosie Mangan

University of Stirling

Rosie is an entomologist working to make pest control more sustainable. She studies factors regulating insect abundance, distribution, and population growth, as well as consequences of intensive pesticide use, the prevalence of insecticide resistance genes, and the development of strategies to reduce reliance on chemical pesticides.

 

Yelitza Colmenarez

CABI Brazil

Yelitza specialises in biological control, integrated pest management (IPM) and sustainable production. She has substantial experience working with multidisciplinary teams, developing international cooperation projects and establishing IPM and biological control programmes for key agricultural pests in Latin America and the Caribbean.

 

Natália Corniani

CABI Brazil 

Natália has expertise in plant biochemistry and physiology. Her work covers mechanisms of action of natural and synthetic compounds and other aspects of agrochemical research. She is an Integrated Crop Management Advisor at CABI Brazil working in international development projects related to biological control and agricultural extension.

 

Nils Bunnefeld 

University of Stirling

Nils uses experimental games to study behavioural change, working at the interface of ecology, social science and economics. He leads a £1.1m ERC grant on conflicts between food security and biodiversity conservation, and has invaluable experience, having successfully run over 500 games with local farmers in Gabon, Madagascar and Scotland.

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Marcelo Mueller

São Paulo State University (UNESP) Jaboticabal

Marcelo is an agronomist and entomologist working on sustainable pest control methods, with experience in investigating the expression of chemical compounds as intrinsic factors in plants against insect pests. Currently, his studies emphasize the interaction between different entomopathogens and landscapes in pest control and how this management strategy impacts the susceptibility of populations.

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Ester Ferrari

University of Stirling

Ester is a lab and field technician and has 10 years experience working in entomology applied to agriculture, providing technical assistance to support scientific research. Ester’s main area of work is studying innovative and sustainable approaches to pest control with particular focus on integrated pest management and biological control.

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Diana Valero

University of Stirling

Diana is a social scientist specialised in rural development. In particular, she studies the reconfiguration of social practices, policy narratives, and participatory processes as drivers of positive transformative change. In ENDORSE she studies the factors shaping the land management choices of farmers through behavioural experimental games.

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Danielle Mackenzie

University of Stirling

Danielle is an entomology Post Doctoral Research Assistant. She researchs insect immunity related to ageing, and the genetic component that influences susceptibility or resistance to fungal infection with specific application towards the biocontrol of insect crop pests.  Currently she investigates the impact of biopesticides on beneficial insects such as predatory bugs and parasitoids as part of integrated pest management.

 

Rose McKeon

University of Stirling

Rose is a PhD researcher focused on studying how resistance to biopesticides evolves. She is motivated by the idea of applying evolutionary theory to create a long-term sustainable pest control strategy for agriculture. She’s interested in the phenotypical and behavioural traits of resistance as well as their genetic architecture. Her main aim, within ENDORSE, is to find out whether fungal resistance really is more polygenic than resistance to less complex biopesticides.

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Arianna Chiti 

University of Stirling

Arianna is a lab technician studying the genetic patterns underlying invertebrates’ resistance to fungal biopesticides. As a recent Stirling University graduate and current MRes student from Swansea University, Ariannas research experience has ranged from investigating the mechanisms that regulate population dynamics of terrestrial invertebrates to assessing the biogeography of functional diversity in aquatic systems

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Surya Senthilkumar

Visiting researcher-University of Stirling

Surya is an environmental biologist focusing on the climate change effect of fungal biopesticides efficacy and onward transmission. Before joining as visiting post-doctoral researcher at the University of Stirling, Surya worked as a policy reviewer and analyst at Dr. Ambedkar International Center (DAIC), India.