Point of contact at UniTrento
prof. Roberto Rosà (coordinator)
prof. Gianfranco Anfora
prof. Andrea Pugliese

Point of contact at FEM
 dr. Annapaola Rizzoli
 dr. Daniele Da Re
 dr. Giovanni Marini
 dr. Valentina Tagliapietra

The cluster develops quantitative tools to understand and predict the dynamics of zoonotic pathogens and invasive pests affecting agriculture and public health. Its main objective is to provide a solid scientific basis for surveillance, prevention and risk management strategies through the integration of ecological, climatic and epidemiological data.

Research activities focus on identifying eco-climatic drivers of vector and pest population dynamics, modelling disease transmission processes, and assessing infection risk under current and future scenarios.
Statistical and mechanistic models are developed by integrating field observations, remote sensing data and citizen-science information.

The outputs include predictive frameworks and decision-support tools that inform agricultural management and public health policies, with strong potential for transfer to different geographic and biological systems.

Research lines:

• Statistical models for the identification of eco-climatic drivers for the abundance and dynamics of invasive species of zoonotic and agricultural interest
• Mechanistic models for the study of population dynamics of vectors of zoonotic pathogens and invasive pest species for agriculture
• Epidemiological models for the quantitative characterization of zoonoses transmitted by vectors, to assess transmission risk and evaluate intervention strategies (surveillance, biocontrol, citizen science inputs)