Astrid Forneck

Astrid Forneck is a Full Professor at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), where she leads the Institute of Viticulture and Pomology. Her research focuses on grapevine stress physiology, viticultural sustainability, and genetic resistance mechanisms against pests like grape phylloxera. She holds a habilitation from Universität Hohenheim and has held visiting positions at UC Davis and the University of Adelaide.

Her education includes a Ph.D. from the University of Hohenheim on grape phylloxera genetics and a Master’s from UC Davis. She began her career in her family’s winery and later transitioned to academia, holding roles at Hohenheim University before joining BOKU in 2005.

Research interests span abiotic/biotic stress interactions (drought, phylloxera), berry ripening disorders, PIWI cultivar resilience, and vineyard ecosystem management. Her work combines molecular biology, eco-physiology, and field studies to improve sustainable viticulture.

Her publications emphasize drought adaptation, phylloxera genomics, soil biodiversity, and metabolic responses to stress. Recent trends include climate-resilient viticulture, rootstock genetics, and physiological disorders like berry shrivel.

• Awards: OECD Fellowship, Rudolf-Hermanns Preis, Peter-Morio Preis, DAAD Scholarship

She advises students in viticulture/enology programs and leads projects on grapevine stress tolerance funded by national and EU initiatives. Her lab focuses on phenotyping, molecular analysis, and field trials to address climate challenges in viticulture.