Mariam P. Berdeja, Ph.D.

Background

Prior to joining Texas Tech faculty, Berdeja served as a lecturer on advanced viticulture topics at Cornell University's School of Integrative Plant Science. Earlier, Berdeja worked as a postdoctoral research associate at Cornell University, focusing on the interaction between soil microbiome and grapevine rootstocks. In addition, she worked as a viticulturist and winemaker in Italy, and project manager for organic grape production and viticulture extension agent with the Organización Campesina Intercomunal in Tarija, Bolivia.

Berdeja received her bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering from University of Juan Misael Saracho in Bolivia and master’s degree in vine, wine and terroir management from the Higher School of Agriculture in Angers, France. Her doctorate in plant biology is from the University of Bordeaux in France, where she investigated changes in the grape berry transcriptome and metabolome in response to water stress. She is a member of the International Society for Horticultural Science, International Society of Root Research, and GIESCO, a group of international experts of viticultural systems for cooperation.

Research Interests

Berdeja’s research and teaching specialization is in the area of viticulture, grapevine biology (physiology, ecophysiology and molecular genetics) and soil microorganisms. Her research program uses an integrative approach that combines physiological, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analyses with genomic and metagenomic studies. Her primary focus is on investigating the interactions between grapevine scion/rootstock combinations and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and how these interactions influence both above- and below-ground plant characteristics in response to environmental stresses and different viticultural practices.  Her work aims to enhance grapevine resilience to climate change and ultimately improve grape and wine quality, while also providing significant economic and environmental benefits by reducing the environmental footprint of the grape and wine industry.