New dissertation within One Health: We congratulate Kristina Berggren Nieto!
Last changed: 11 June 2024
Kristina Berggren Nieto successfully defended her thesis in May 2024. We took the opportunity to ask her some questions about her research and future plans.
Who are you? Could you give a short presentation of yourself and your research area?
"My name is Kristina Berggren Nieto, and I just received my PhD in biology with a focus on ecology. During my PhD, I worked with forest plant protection against an insect pest. I became interested in research during my magister in ecotoxicology and, therefore, continued to do a two-year master's by research, this time in ecology/plant genetics. I loved doing research so much that I decided to continue as a PhD student. I chose my field based on my lifelong fascination with insects and my newborn interest in plant physiological processes that I discovered during my master’s, as well as in plant protection methods. The latter came during my magister thesis when I investigated the toxicity of a new pesticide to non-pest organisms, which I felt was very important."
What is your research about (the “big idea”) and how does it relate to One Health?
"In my research, we look at new plant protection methods that focus on how we can use a plant’s own defence system to our favour. Since this way of protecting plants stems from the plant itself, these methods can potentially be more sustainable and environmentally friendly than chemical pesticides, which often negatively impact the environment and people’s health."
What problem does your research help to solve in the short and long term?
"My research helps to reduce the reliance on chemical pesticides, which aims to contribute to safer ways of protecting plants both in the short and the long term. This may, in turn, lead to healthier ecosystems and a decreased risk of exposure to hazardous chemicals for workers and of pesticide residues in food."
What are your plans now after your PhD?
"I would like to continue researching more about sustainable plant protection methods that reduce the risk of negative environmental impact. The more we learn about plant defence mechanisms and plant-insect interactions, the more we can improve these eco-friendly protection methods. I would also like to try the methods I’ve used in my PhD on other plant-insect systems."
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We wish Kristina the best of luck in her future career!