Cristina Tuni

Cristina Tuni serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology at the University of Turin, Italy. Her research focuses on reproductive trait evolution and sexual communication in arthropods using interdisciplinary methodologies.

• PhD and Post-doc: Aarhus University (Denmark)
• Research Associate: LMU Munich (Germany)
• MSc: University of Rome Tor Vergata (Italy)

Dr. Tuni's research examines how rapidly changing environments impact reproductive dynamics through field studies, laboratory assays, molecular tools, and experimental evolution. Her work primarily investigates spiders and insects, with specific emphasis on chemical/vibratory communication, mating strategies, and eco-evolutionary responses to anthropogenic stressors like heatwaves and noise pollution. She leads TuniLab, which integrates behavioral ecology with evolutionary biology to understand population persistence mechanisms.

Her research portfolio shows consistent focus on arthropod reproduction across multiple environmental contexts, with recent projects examining silk-based communication in spiders and thermal stress impacts on insect reproductive behavior. Current work increasingly addresses climate change implications for sexual selection dynamics.

Dr. Tuni actively mentors graduate students through doctoral and master's research projects, with former students pursuing advanced degrees at institutions including Hamburg University and Greifswald University. She serves on departmental committees including the Research Commission and LM ECAU Monitoring Commission. Her team is currently organizing the ISBE 2026 conference while maintaining active collaborations with Ludwig Maximilians University in Germany.

TuniLab operates across dual institutional bases at the University of Turin (Via Accademia Albertina 13, Turin) and LMU Munich (Grosshaderner Str 2, Planegg-Martinsried), facilitating transnational research on evolutionary behavioral ecology. The lab maintains specialized facilities for arthropod observation, molecular analysis, and environmental simulation experiments.