Renata SOUKAND

Renata SOUKAND is an Associate Professor at Ca' Foscari University of Venice, affiliated with the Department of Environmental Sciences, Computer Science and Statistics. She serves as DAIS Representative on the Scientific Area Library Council (BAS). Her research focuses on ethnobotany, exploring traditional plant use, cultural ecology, and biodiversity conservation across diverse regions, particularly in Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean. She teaches courses such as Biodiversity and Global Change, Biocultural Diversity, and Ethnobotany at the graduate and doctoral levels.

Prof. SOUKAND’s work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to understanding human-plant relationships, including studies on wild food plants, medicinal uses, and the impacts of globalization on traditional knowledge. She has published extensively in journals like Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine and PLoS ONE, and leads research projects funded by the European Research Council (ERC), such as 'Ethnobotany of Divided Generations in the Context of Centralization.'

Her research spans multiple geographical areas, including Estonia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, and Italy, with a focus on marginalized communities and cultural heritage preservation. She collaborates globally and serves on editorial boards for key ethnobotanical journals.