In January 2025 the SLU Centre of Biological Control, CBC, recruited two new junior researchers and Eirini is one of them. Eirini grew up in the north-eastern part of Greece and her interest in biology was sparked by her grandfather’s deep love for nature and animals and continued being fuelled by her high school biology teachers.
– I studied applied biology at the University of Ioannina, Greece, and completed my thesis at Ca’ Foscari University in Venice, where I examined the life history traits of a small killifish. Then I earned my master’s degree at SLU in Umeå focusing on the population dynamics of Golden Eagles. After working with fish and avian predators, I moved to SLU in Uppsala to pursue my PhD.
– For my PhD thesis, I investigated the importance of weed seed predators in regulating weed populations at both population and community levels. In addition, I focused on effective landscape and field management strategies that promotes high levels and stability of weed seed predation, says Eirini.
Agricultural changes through weed and pest predation
Eirini has always been fascinated by ecological theory and its applications in both natural and managed ecosystems.
– Currently, my research focuses on how ecosystem functions, such as weed and pest predation, can drive transformative changes in agroecosystems. I am working on my own project funded by a Formas early career grant that investigates the role of weed diversity and weed seed predation can reduce dependence on herbicides. I aim to identify the mechanisms by which weed diversity and weed seed predation interact to reduce weed species growth rates and associated yield losses.
What do the farmers think about alternative plant protection?
Eirini is also going to evaluate the acceptance of ecological alternatives to weed control among farmers.
– Specifically, via an online questionnaire, I am trying to understand farmers’ beliefs and attitudes towards weeds and biological weed control and how those affect their willingness to adopt ecological weed control practises.
Eirini work together with researchers from SLU in Uppsala, Uppsala University and Wageningen University in the Netherlands. When she is not working, Eirini likes to spend time in nature, connect with friends and family, and being outdoors.
