Michal Segoli

Professor Michal Segoli is an Associate Professor at The Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental & Energy Research at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, where she also leads the Entomology Lab. A behavioral and evolutionary ecologist, her research focuses on the complex factors that limit the reproductive success of insects within both natural and agricultural environments. She is particularly interested in host-parasite and endosymbiont-host interactions, utilizing these insights to promote the efficient use of parasitoids for the biological control of pests and diseases. Her interdisciplinary approach integrates field observations, traditional ecological experiments, mathematical modeling, and molecular genetics. Notably, she has conducted extensive research on the invasive brown widow spider and the evolutionary ecology of parasitoid wasps. After completing her PhD at Ben-Gurion University in 2009, she held postdoctoral positions at UC Davis and James Cook University. As a leading voice in her field, she recently co-edited a foundational textbook on life history evolution, further bridging fundamental science with sustainable agricultural applications.