With over 35 years of experience, I specialize in Research, Project management, and Consulting. I have been working as a Consultant and Evaluator for national and international organizations and private companies. 

My work includes over 400 publications in international peer-reviewed journals, proceedings, professional magazines, and books. Additionally, I serve as an editor and editorial board member for several leading scientific horticultural journals, and I am Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Vegetable Science (Taylor & Francis), Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Vegetable Science (Elsevier), and Section Editor-in-Chief of Horticulturae.

I currently serve as Vice-President of the Union of European Academies for Science Applied to Agriculture, Food and Nature (UEAA), Vice-Chair of the Division Vegetable, Roots, and Tubers (International Society for Horticultural Science-ISHS), and Chair of the ISHS Working Group on Southeastern and Eastern Europe Vegetable and Potato Production.

Interests

• Sustainable Horticulture
• Vegetable Sciences
• CEA, Protected Cultivation, and Urban Agriculture
• Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation
• Soilless Culture and Growing Media
• Produce Quality
• Agrofood Systems 

Education & Awards

• Foreign Member – 2025
  Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, Lithuania
• Distinguished Scientist – 2020, 2025
  Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
• “Investigador Distinguido – María Zambrano” – 2024
  Polytechnic University of Cartagena, Spain
• Corresponding Foreign Member – 2021
  Accademia dei Georgofili, Florence, Italy
• Honorary Member – 2021
  Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences “Gheorghe Ionescu - Șisești”, Romania
• National Scientific Prize – 2018
  Academy of Sciences of Albania
• Full Member – 2012
  Academy of Sciences of Albania
• Habilitation – Agricultural Sciences, 2006
  Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany
• Dr. Heinrich-Baur Prize – 2003
  Technical University of Munich, Germany
• Doctorate – Agricultural Sciences, 1999
  Technical University of Munich, Germany
• MSc – Agriculture, Plant Science/Plant Breeding, 1982
  Agricultural University of Tirana, Albania