Interested in the health and behaviour of bees, model species to investigate animal behaviour and environmental health. Aims at better understanding the role played by multiple natural and anthropogenic factors (e.g., pesticides, nutrition) on social and solitary bees. Studies the sublethal effects of stressors, including their impact on bee flight, locomotion, phototaxis, thermoregulation, and energy levels. Closely looks at the natural and artificial worlds and their rules, including risk assessments, trying to disentangle their complexity.
Beekeeper to observe the wonder of the superorganism, and for the sense of community.
Inspired by nature and a family of rural workers, WWII partisans.
First generation University student. He/him.
Simone Tosi
Assistant Professor
Employment
2021 — ongoing
Assistant Professor (tenure-track)
Department of Agricultural, Forest, and Food Sciences (DISAFA); University of Turin
Turin, Italy
2019 — 2020
Postdoctoral research (Make Our Planet Great Again fellowship of the President of the Republic)
Animal Health Laboratory; French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES)
Paris, France
2016 — 2018
Postdoctoral research fellow
Section of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution; Division of Biological Sciences; University of California San Diego (UCSD)
San Diego, California, USA
2015
Research collaborator
Agriculture and Environment Research Centre, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA-AA)
Bologna, Italy
Education
2015
PhD in Agricultural, Environmental and Food Science and Technology (final evaluation: excellent)
Department of Agricultural Sciences; University of Bologna
Bologna, Italy
2014
Visiting scholar at University of Pretoria, Department of Zoology and Entomology. http://www.up.ac.za/
Pretoria, South Africa.
2011
Master of Science in Ecology and Evolution, Applied ecology (final evaluation: 110/110 cum laude)
Department of Biology and Evolution Laboratory; University of Ferrara
Ferrara, Italy
2008
Bachelor of Science in Biological sciences, Ecosystem curriculum (final evaluation: 110/110)
Department of Biological Sciences; University of Bologna
Bologna, Italy
Selected services
External Scientific Expert and Working Groups member for EFSA (MUST-B, HEALTHY-B, HMF WG, Food and Feed WG).​
Scientist Expert for the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI) of the European Commission, Directorate General Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI). Bee health and sustainable beekeeping Focus Group.
Academic Editor of PlosOne, Topic Editor of Insects, Guest Editor of Frontiers of sustainable food
​
Invited peer reviewer for more than 20 scientific journals, including Nature Ecology and Evolution, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Environmental Science & Technology, The Science of the Total Environment, Chemosphere, Scientific Reports, Microbial Biotechnology, PLoS One, Environmental Pollution.
Invited peer reviewer of scientific grants, including "Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions" and "Graduate Women in Science".
​
Media consultancy and appearance, including "The last bee" (PRESADIRETTA, TV prime-time news show by R. Iacona, National Italian State Broadcasting Corporation - Rai 3), “Bee Conscious” (documentary by Envision Cinema Conservatory Production, IMAX - In Focus), “Urban beekeeping could save the world” (documentary by E. S. Huffman, UPROXX).
​
Supervisor of more than 40 students / postdocs.
Selected honours and awards
2019
2018
2018
2017
2012
2012
Special Member of the Entomology Department Graduate Faculty, University of Maryland, USA
​
“Make Our Planet Great Again” awardee, international research initiative funded by the French President of the Republic and the French ministries of "Europe and foreign affairs" and "Higher education, research, and innovation"
​
Early career researcher initiative award by EFSA for the presentation "Synergy as future challenge for risk assessment: pesticides, nutrition, and behaviour" ("Advancing risk assessment science - Environment")
​
“Luca Franzini” award for best publication on social insect topics (2014-17) (International Union for the Study of Social Insects − IUSSI, Italian Association for the Study of Social and Presocial Arthropods − AISASP).
​
Graduate student award by the Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees (www.preservationofhoneybees.org)
COLOSS Award for best early stage researcher presentation ("Role of temperature on honey bee susceptibility to pesticides")
Bee curious
