Vahidehalsadat Rafieebanadaki

I am a researcher at the Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, SLU. My research explores the biology of plant-pathogenic fungi, from fungal population diversity and molecular plant–pathogen interactions to interactions among co-infecting fungal species. A major focus of my current research is Fusarium head blight (FHB) in cereal crops, where I investigate how interactions among Fusarium species influence fungal colonization, disease development and secondary metabolism.

My research focuses on the biology of plant-pathogenic fungi and the mechanisms underlying their interactions with plants and other fungi. My current research focuses on FHB-associated Fusarium species, investigating fungal–fungal and fungal–plant interactions, fungal biology, secondary metabolism, population biology and molecular responses during infection.

My earlier research focused on Verticillium dahliae and Verticillium longisporum. During my PhD, I investigated the population genetics, genomics and epidemiology of V. dahliae across different cropping systems and hosts. During my postdoctoral research, I moved towards the molecular biology of fungal pathogenicity, investigating effector proteins, virulence factors and molecular interactions between V. longisporum and its Brassicaceae hosts, particularly oilseed crops.

Together, my research spans fungal population genetics and genomics, molecular plant pathology, fungal molecular biology, secondary metabolism and multispecies interactions, with the broader goal of understanding how fungal pathogens adapt, interact and cause disease in crop plants.

I contribute to teaching and research training at Bachelor's, Master's and doctoral levels, particularly in plant pathology, plant–microbe interactions, fungal biology and population genetics of plant pathogens. I also supervise Master's students and co-supervise doctoral and postdoctoral researchers. At SLU, I serve as Study Director for PhD courses at Organism Biology Research School at the Faculty of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences (NJ) and contribute to doctoral training activities.

PhD in Plant Pathology, Shiraz University, Iran, 2018
Visiting PhD student, Cornell University, USA, 2015–2016
MSc in Plant Pathology, Shiraz University, Iran, 2012
BSc in Plant Protection, Tehran University, Iran, 2009

• FORMAS Early Career grant (2022-2026)
• King Carl XVI Gustaf's 50-year Fund for Science, Technology and the Environment Awarded for research on biological control of Fusarium diseases in cereals (2024)
• Honorary member of the Jeanie Borlaug Laube, by the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative for contributions to wheat research and dedication to improving food security.

• Rafiei, V., DeGenring, L., Schwister, E. M., Elmore, J. M., Dubey, M., Karlsson, M., et al. (2025). Comparative analysis of distinct phenotyping methods for assessing wheat resistance and pathogen virulence among Fusarium species causing head blight disease. Plant Methods, 21(1), 85.
• DeGenring, L. M., Gemechu, A., Rafiei, V., Broz, K., Regasa, G. H., Munsamy, K., et al. (2025). The 2022 Fusarium head blight outbreak in Ethiopia: Emerging pathogens, mixed mycotoxins, and interspecies interactions. Plant Disease, 110(3), 890–902.
• Rafiei, V., Dixelius, C., & Tzelepis, G. (2025). The soilborne fungus Verticillium longisporum and its interactions with the Brassicaceous hosts. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 38(4), 497–504.
• Piombo, E., Tzelepis, G., Ruus, A. G., Rafiei, V., Jensen, D. F., Karlsson, M., et al. (2024). Sterol regulatory element-binding proteins mediate intrinsic fungicide tolerance and antagonism in the fungal biocontrol agent Clonostachys rosea IK726. Microbiological Research, 289, 127922.
• Rafiei, V., Ruffino, A., Persson Hoden, K., Tornkvist, A., Mozuraitis, R., Dubey, M., et al. (2023). A Verticillium longisporum pleiotropic drug transporter determines tolerance to the plant host β-pinene monoterpene. Molecular Plant Pathology, 23(2), 291–303.
• Rafiei, V., Vélëz, H., Piombo, E., Dubey, M., & Tzelepis, G. (2023). Verticillium longisporum phospholipase VlsPLA2 is a virulence factor that targets host nuclei and modulates plant immunity. Molecular Plant Pathology, 24(9), 1078–1092.
• Rafiei, V., Velez, H., Dixelius, C., & Tzelepis, G. (2023). Advances in molecular interactions on the Rhizoctonia solani–sugar beet pathosystem. Fungal Biology Reviews, 44, 100297.
• Rafiei, V., Najafi, Y., Vélëz, H., & Tzelepis, G. (2022). Investigating the role of a putative endolysin-like candidate effector protein in Verticillium longisporum virulence. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 629, 6–11.
• Rafiei, V., Vélëz, H., & Tzelepis, G. (2021). The role of glycoside hydrolases in phytopathogenic fungi and oomycetes virulence. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(17), 9359.
• Akhlaghi, M., Keykhasaber, M., Barjasteh, A., Landa, B. B., & Rafiei, V. (2021). First report of Verticillium wilt caused by Verticillium dahliae on Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) in Iran. Plant Disease, 105(4), 1213.
• Rafiei, V., Banihashemi, Z., Jiménez-Díaz, R. M., Navas-Cortés, J. A., Landa, B. B., et al. (2018). Comparison of genotyping by sequencing and microsatellite markers for unravelling population structure in the clonal fungus Verticillium dahliae. Plant Pathology, 67(1), 76–86.
• Rafiei, V., Banihashemi, Z., Bautista-Jalón, L. S., Jiménez-Gasco, M. del M., et al. (2018). Population genetics of Verticillium dahliae in Iran based on microsatellite and single nucleotide polymorphism markers. Phytopathology, 108(6), 780–788