Get to know... Cristina Carlos

Cristina Carlos holds a PhD in Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (2017) and a degree in Agricultural Engineering (2000), both from UTAD. From 1999 to 2021, she worked as a senior technician at ADVID (Association for the Development of Viticulture in the Douro Region), providing technical support to farmers and wine companies in the field of sustainable viticulture. Between 2013 and 2021, she led the association’s technical management, reinforcing its role as a key link between researchers and practitioners. She has authored several publications on vine protection and conservation biological control. 

In 2022, she joined UTAD as an Assistant Professor at the Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences School (ECAV), where she teaches viticulture and soil conservation. In the scientific field, C. Carlos is a researcher at CITAB, belonging to the Resiliency & valorisation of agrarian value chains Research group. Her research focuses on sustainable viticulture, including soil health, functional biodiversity and ecological infrastructures in vineyards, sustainable pest management strategies (such as mating disruption and nature-based solutions), and the use of smart technologies and modelling to support pest monitoring and decision-support systems (DSS). She is also involved in disseminating research outcomes to both the wine sector and the academic community. 

She currently coordinates the LivingSoiLL project — Healthy Soil to Permanent Crops Living Labs, a Horizon Europe initiative under the EU Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe.” The project establishes five Living Labs across Portugal, France, Spain, Italy, and Poland, targeting soil health in key permanent crops such as vineyards, olive groves, chestnut and hazelnut orchards, and apple orchards. With over 60 experimental sites, the project fosters collaboration between science, practice, and local knowledge to develop innovative soil management solutions.