Aska Goverse

Aska Goverse is an Associate Professor at Wageningen University & Research, leading the Laboratory of Nematology. Active in nematology and plant-parasitic nematode research, Goverse focuses on durable resistance mechanisms in potatoes, host-pathogen interactions, and RNA-based responses to infections. Collaborations span European research consortia, including the NEM-EMERGE project.

• Affiliation: Wageningen University & Research
• Department: Laboratory of Nematology
• Academic Rank: Associate Professor

Research Interests:

• Investigating nematode effector proteins and their roles in immune evasion
• Developing heat-stable resistance strategies against potato cyst nematodes
• Exploring cross-talk between nematodes and viral infections via siRNA activation
• Using transcriptomics (RNAseq, spatial RNA tomography) to map infection dynamics in Arabidopsis and potato

Scientific Activities:

• Organizer of the NEM-EMERGE annual meeting (2025)
• Chair of the 35th European Society of Nematologists symposium (2024)
• Editorial board member for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions (2023-2027) and Frontiers in Plant Science (2023)

Scientific Awards:

• Recipient of the Excellent Education Prize (2018)

Advising and Projects:

• Co-promotor for PhD candidates studying nematode virulence and resistance
• Active projects include biogeography of root-knot nematodes, heat-stable plant resistances, and durable resistance to potato cyst nematodes
• Contributed to genomic datasets for Globodera species