I received my bachelor (2006) and master degree (2009) in Agricultural Engineering – Horticultural Sciences – both from Bu-Ali Sina University, Iran. I became interested in biotechnology (genetics and molecular biology) especially after the successful conclusion of my master’s thesis in which I studied the identification of self-incompatibility alleles in Iranian pear cultivars using allele specific PCR amplification. Thereafter, I worked as a research fellow at the Plant Physiology Lab (Bu-Ali Sina University) where I tackled a new challenge: to understand the molecular mechanisms and physiological responses of persimmon, peach and orange after application of various safe post-harvest treatments for human health. From 2016-2018, I was an investigator at the Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), University of Minho, Portugal. I started my PhD at Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, UCP, under supervision of Prof. Marta Vasconcelos. The topic of my PhD research is: Exploring breeding options for nutrition and water use efficiency in pea. Based on a dual approach, I will explore the morphological, physiological, biochemical and genetic traits in response to water stress, both at the plant and at the soil level, in a germplasm collection of 320 pea accessions. This in-depth analysis will target molecular approaches, complemented with high-throughput technologies, such as GWAS analysis.

Publications

Bagheri, M., & Esna-Ashari, M. (2022). Effects of postharvest methyl jasmonate treatment on persimmon quality during cold storage. Scientia Horticulturae, 294, 110756. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2021.110756 [1]

Bagheri, M., & Ershadi, A. (2020). Self-incompatibility alleles in Iranian pear cultivars. Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology, 27, 101672. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcab.2020.101672 [2]

Bagheri, M., Esna-Ashari, M., & Ershadi, A. (2015). Effect of postharvest calcium chloride treatment on the storage life and quality of persimmon fruits (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) cv.‘Karaj’. International Journal of Horticultural Science and Technology, 2(1), 15-26. 10.22059/IJHST.2015.54260

Esna-Ashari, M., Bagheri, M., & Ershadi, A. (2016). Effect of Hot Water Treatment on Inducing Chilling Tolerance in Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) Fruit cv. Karaj. 10.22084/PPT.2016.1751 [3]