Get to know... Lia-Tânia Dinis

Lia is an Assistant Researcher at CITAB, where she works in the field of Plant Physiology, with a focus on agronomic sustainability. She holds a PhD from the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), and her research focuses on the impact of abiotic and biotic stresses on plants, particularly in Mediterranean crops such as grapevines. Her main goal is to improve the productivity, quality, and sustainability of agricultural systems by exploring adaptation strategies to climate change and promoting more efficient and environmentally responsible practices. 

Her research combines field-based experimental work, using advanced instrumentation to monitor photosynthetic performance, plant water relations, and growth dynamics, with laboratory analyses involving biochemical, physiological, and metabolomic approaches. Throughout her career, Lia has (co)authored more than 60 scientific publications in international journals and has participated in multiple national and European research projects. She is currently the Principal Investigator of several R&D projects, including initiatives under PRR – Vine & Wine Portugal, such as MiKS4Vine and BioVitis, focused on developing innovative solutions to enhance vineyard resilience, namely through biostimulants and sustainable approaches. She also coordinates the UVineSafe project, which explores the use of UV-C radiation as a strategy to induce natural plant defense mechanisms, contributing to the reduction of pesticide use, and leads at UTAD the ViTex project, which aims at the full utilization of pruning residues to produce products that enhance vine resilience while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting a circular economy. Her work directly contributes to the sustainable transition of the wine sector, promoting more resilient, efficient, and climate-adapted practices.