Associate Professor, Forest Pathology Co-director, Southern Pine Health Research Cooperative Education Education: PhD, Crop Science - Plant Protection Curriculum, University of Padua (Italy), 2012 MS. Plant Health Sciences and Technologies, University of Florence (Italy), 2008 BS, Forest and Environmental Sciences, University of Florence (Italy), 2005 Awards, Honors and Recognitions Awards, Honors and Recognitions: 2022 Fred C. Davison Early Career Scholar Award, UGA Research Labs/Centers/Committee: Villari Forest Pathology Lab Area of Specialty: Forest Biology Biotechnology/Molecular Biology/Genetics Health and Protection Research Areas: Forest Biology Forestry Research Interests: Dr. Villari's main interests are the interactions among trees, fungal pathogens and insect herbivores, and related chemical ecology aspects, and she uses an interdisciplinary approach that involves ecological, metabolomic, and molecular analyses. In the course of her career, she has developed skills that range from chromatography to mass spectrometry, the use of vibrational spectroscopy for the rapid identification of resistant trees, and innovative molecular diagnostic tools such as LAMP (loop mediated isothermal amplification).
