Roberto Bacilieri
Researcher in Plant Genetics – UMR AGAP, France
I developed my interest in ecology and evolution studying at the University of Montpellier. My focus on forest genetic diversity later led me to Borneo, one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, with a European project on the conservation of forest resources. In 2006, I began working on grapevine. I served as co-animator of the European GRAPE-GEN06 project, with which I forged professional and personal connections with grape researchers across Europe. Lately, I initiated a landscape genomics project to investigate climate adaptation in V. sylvestris and predict its response to climate change. We established a collaborative network for sharing geographic and botanical data. I have also contributed to the genetic characterization of grape genetic resources,
Kai Voss-Fels
Professor and Head of the Department of Plant Breeding – Hochschule Geisenheim University, Germany
Kai is Professor and Head of the Department of Plant Breeding at Hochschule Geisenheim University, Germany. He received his PhD in plant breeding and quantitative genetics from Justus Liebig University Giessen in 2016 and subsequently worked as senior research fellow and group leader at The University of Queensland, Australia. In 2021, he returned to Geisenheim, Germany to establish a research program focused on accelerating genetic gain in perennial horticultural crops through the integration of genomics, phenomics, quantitative genetics and biotechnology tools. In 2024, he was appointed Professor and Head of the Plant Breeding Department. His work centres on predictive breeding strategies in grapevine, including rootstock breeding, clonal improvement of traditional cultivars and the development of new disease-resistant varieties.
Sandrine Eveillard
Research Scientist – INRAE (UMR 1332 BFP, Bordeaux, France)
Sandrine Eveillard is a Research Scientist at INRAE (UMR 1332 BFP, Bordeaux, France). She obtained her PhD in Biological and Medical Sciences from the University of Bordeaux and her French Habilitation to Supervise Research (HDR) in 2006. Her research focuses on the phytoplasma associated with Flavescence dorée (FD), a major grapevine yellows disease in Europe. She studies plant–pathogen–vector interactions, with particular emphasis on varietal susceptibility and natural resistance in grapevine. Her work combines controlled transmission of the phytoplasma by its insect vector Scaphoideus titanus, phenotyping of grapevine responses, and molecular and metabolic analyses to better understand disease development. She actively participates in multiple national and international research projects on FD, contributing to collaborative efforts to improve knowledge and sustainable management strategies against the disease.
Elisa Margeurit
Senior Lecturer – Bordeaux Sciences Agro and Researcher – UMR Écophysiologie et Génomique Fonctionnelle de la Vigne (EGFV)
Elisa Marguerit is a Senior Lecturer (Maître de Conférences, HDR) at Bordeaux Sciences Agro and a researcher within the UMR Écophysiologie et Génomique Fonctionnelle de la Vigne (EGFV), a joint research unit affiliated with INRAE, University of Bordeaux, and the Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin (ISVV), France. Her research focuses on the genetic and ecophysiological determinants of grapevine adaptation to environmental constraints, particularly water deficit in the context of climate change. She investigates the genetic architecture of complex traits involved in drought tolerance, rootstock–scion interactions, and genotype × environment (G×E) interactions. Her work aims to elucidate how rootstock genetic diversity modulates scion physiology, water-use efficiency, and nutrient balance.
Anna Kircherer
Senior Scientist: Head of field phenotyping – JKI, Institute of Grapevine Breeding Geilweilerhof (Germany, Siebeldingen)
Anna Kircher is a Senior Scientist: Head of field phenotyping at JKI, Institute of Grapevine Breeding Geilweilerhof (Germany, Siebeldingen). She obtained her PhD in Institute of Grapevine Breeding Geilweilerhof / Field of product systems in Horticulture (340f) University of Hohenheim in 2015. Her main research interest is in phenotyping and digitalisation in grapevine breeding and viticulture, especially on a field level. In our Institute we develop and integrate digital methods of phenotyping on a lab and field level to use the new methods in genetic studies and the grapevine breeding process. We also collaborate closely with viticulture to support the research on digital tools that can support vinegrowers and monitoring of disease in the future. I appreciate being part of a team that undertakes strategic plant research on rapid phenotyping, especially for viticulture applications.
Ana Jeromel
Full Professor at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture
Ana Jeromel is a Full Professor with tenure at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, in the field of biotechnical sciences, specializing in viticulture and enology. She received her PhD in 2005 from the same institution, where she has continuously been engaged in teaching and research activities. As Head of the Department for Viticulture and Enology, she actively participates in national and international research projects focused on the chemical composition, aroma profile, and sensory properties of wine, with particular emphasis on indigenous grape varieties. Author and co-author of numerous scientific papers published in internationally recognized journals, Prof. Jeromel has supervised eight doctoral dissertations. In addition, she is actively involved in professional and scientific bodies and contributes to the advancement of enological science and collaboration with industry.