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Staff Profile

Dr Femke van den Berg

Senior Lecturer

Background

I obtained my PhD from Reading University in 2005. The PhD was in collaboration with Rothamsted Research and focused on evolutionary plant pathology. I stayed on at Rothamsted Research to continue researching epidemiology and evolutionary ecology and worked on a range of topics using a range of modelling approaches. A few key examples are:

  • Differential equation modelling applied in the area of durability of integrated control by combining fungicide sprays and resistant cultivars
  • Physiological modelling applied to tolerance of wheat against foliar diseases
  • Adaptive dynamics applied to disease management strategies and changes in the environment as selection pressures imposed on the evolution of a pathogen’s life-cycle characteristics
  • Individual based modelling applied to autoinfection in plant pathogens

During my time at Rothamsted my work saw a shift towards more applied science and an increasing interest in working together with experimental scientists delivering practical solutions for farmers and agronomists.


Since 2016 I have been working for Fera Science Ltd. where I am currently a science lead in quantitative approaches. My main focus is on the development of tool to support agriculture, plant health and biosecurity. A few key project examples are:

  • Development of optimal survey designs, for e.g. early detection of tree pests. This work includes designing databases and data entry tools for survey data as well as models to assess different survey designs and associated tools to aid results interpretation. 
  • Developing modelling approaches around biodiversity to guide government on how to reach their targets in the fastest and most cost-effective manner.
  • The development of models for a decision support system for pests and diseases affecting agricultural crops. Between 2016 and 2019 I was the lead modeler helping develop a decision support platform for UK agriculture for the Crop Health and Protection Centre (CHAP).
  • Fungicide resistance management models and other services. Previous work within this area has contributed to the definition of governing principles for fungicide-resistance management, which are currently used to guide government policies on fungicide resistance management in both the UK and Australia.

 

Since 2022 I have been a principle investigator at the Institute for Agri-Food Research and Innovation (IAFRI) which is a joint venture between Newcastle University and Fera Science Ltd. As such I work 80% of my time for Fera and 20% for Newcastle University. IAFRI's mission is to conduct frontier research by bringing together the best multidisciplinary research talent in the social and natural sciences and is closely linked to Fera customers' needs.


Teaching

Post-graduate student supervision

Supervisor of the following projects

  • Detection and pre-detection of blight in potato- Will this refine crop models?  
  • Agri diagnostics: Sensing approaches for early detection and quantification for crop and soil health


Co-supervisor of the following projects

  • Scaling up tree health monitoring systems to landscapes
Publications