My main research interest is to understand how species interactions influence the structure and functioning of plant-microbial communities. I got my PhD from Leiden University in the Institute of Environmental Sciences. My previous work has focused on symbiosis between plants and mycorrhizal fungi, but is increasingly expanding to include other groups of organisms that are part of the soil foodweb in forest ecosystems. In my research I work across multiple scales from microcosm assays to field experiments. I am the scientific coordinator of the SILVA NOVA project at Leiden University.

More information about Sofia Fernandes Gomes

Brief biography

2021 – present: Institute of Biology (IBL), Leiden University, The Netherlands

• Postdoc in the group of Prof. Martijn Bezemer, Above-belowground interactions group, Plant Sciences
• Project leader: Silva Nova – restoring soil biology and soil functions to gain multiple benefits in new forest
• Guest researcher at Naturalis Biodiversity Center

For more information about current research, please check out the Above-Belowground Interactions Group Website.  

2020-2021: Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

• Postdoc in the group of Prof. Liesje Mommer, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation
  Project: Playing hide and seek

2019-2020: Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands 

• Postdoc in the group of Prof. Martijn Bezemer, Terrestrial Ecology
  Project: Changing Microbiomes (supported by the Academy Ecology Fund, KNAW)

2019: BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, Germany

• EMBO short-term fellow in the group of Prof. Gerhard Gebauer
  Project: Isotope natural abundances of fungal hyphae (supported by EMBO)

2014-2018: Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, The Netherlands & Naturalis Biodiversity Center

• PhD thesis: Cheating Belowground Interactions

Publications