Wendy van 't Westende

Wendy van 't Westende is a Research Officer in the Department of Animal Ecology at Wageningen University & Research. Her work focuses on plant-insect interactions, particularly resistance mechanisms against pests like whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) and aphids. She investigates how salinity stress affects plant defenses and explores genetic variation in wild relatives and landraces for sustainable pest management.

Recent research includes identifying novel QTLs in Solanum galapagense for whitefly resistance and developing breeding strategies to reduce pesticide dependency under climate stress. Her collaborations span entomology, molecular biology, and agricultural sustainability.