PhD Candidate
PhD Candidate
Edoardo is a doctoral student in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at UC Berkeley, specializing in forest pathology with a particular emphasis on Cypress Canker Disease (CCD) affecting cypress trees. He uses this pathosystem as a model to understand the complexities of host-pathogen interactions under changing climatic conditions.
His research integrates RNA sequencing (dual RNA-seq), bioinformatics, fungal genomics, molecular ecology, and metabarcoding to investigate fungal pathogens and microbial communities in forest ecosystems. Through these multidisciplinary approaches, Edoardo aims to unravel the ecological and evolutionary dynamics that shape plant diseases and forest health.
Prior to joining UC Berkeley, Edoardo conducted research at the University of Florence in collaboration with the Italian National Research Council (CNR). He also worked for two and a half years in Italy supporting political refugees, an experience that strengthened his commitment to meaningful community engagement.
Edoardo’s research ultimately seeks to advance scientific knowledge to support sustainable forest management and improve our ability to respond to emerging threats to forest ecosystems.
University of California, Berkeley | Environmental Science, Policy, & Management (PhD) | 2022 - present
University of Florence, Italy | Master of Sciences in Forest System Science and Technologies | 2021
University of Florence, Italy | Master in Reception of Refugees: Legislation, Social Integration Policies and
Health Issue | 2019
University of Florence, Italy | Bachelor degree in Forestry and Environmental Science | 2016
forest pathology, host-pathogen interaction, fungal genomics, computational biology, evolution.
Scali, E., Garbelotto M., Danti R., Della Rocca G. (2025). The Cypress Canker Disease pandemic. Plant Health Cases, phcs20250001. https://doi.org/10.1079/planthealthcases.2025.0001
Scali, E., Jonnson, M., Emiliani, G., Schmidt, D., Popenuck, T., Garbelotto, M. (2025). Not Seeing the Tree for the Forest: Scattered Trees Can Be Unexpected
Hotspots of Fungal Diversity. Biological Conservation, 303, 111020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111020Dovana, F., Para, R., Moreno, G., Scali, E., Garbelotto M., Lechner, B. E., & Forte, L. (2024). Description of the New Species Laccaria albifolia (Hydnangiaceae, Basidiomycota) and a Reassessment of Laccaria affinis Based on Morphological and Phylogenetic Analyses. Journal of Fungi, 11(1), 11.
Scali, E., Della Rocca G., Danti R., Garbelotto M., Barberini S., Emiliani G. (2024). Genome assembly of two California isolates of Seiridium cardinale (BM‑138‑000494 and BM‑138‑000479). Journal of Plant Pathology, 1‑4 https://doi.org/10.1007/s42161-024-01665-5
Scali, E., Rocca, G.D., Danti, R. et al. (2024). Sequence and assembly of the genome of Seiridium unicorne, isolate CBS 538.82, causal agent of cypress canker disease. J Plant Pathol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42161-024-01633-z
Scali, E., Rocca, G. D., Danti, R., Garbelotto, M., Barberini, S., Frascella, A., & Emiliani, G. (2024). Genome sequence and assembly of the causal agent of Cypress Canker Disease Seiridium cupressi, isolates BM-138–000234 and BM-138–000515. Journal of Plant Pathology, 106(1), 267-270. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42161-023-01545-4
Pedrazzani S., Scali E., Radice S., Giordani E. (2022) Warmipura: recovery of ancestral techniques for dyeing wool in North-West Argentina. JUNCO, Journal of University and International developement cooperation. https://doi.org/10.13135/2531-8772/6448
Aglietti C., Benigno A., Scali E., Capretti P. Ghelardini L., Moricca S. (2021) Molecular-based reappraisal of a historical record of Dothistroma needle blight in the centre of the Mediterranean region. Forests 2021, 12, x. https://doi.org/10.3390/xxxxx
Modesti P.A., Scali E., Marzotti I., Ulivi N., Boddi M., Galanti G., Macrì R. (2019) Blood pressure changes in male migrants waiting for an asylum decision in Italy. International journal of cardiology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2019.12.026
William Carroll Smith Fellowship Fund
ESPM Summer 2023 Research Funding Grant
Fulbright Fellowship | 2022
Research Fellowship University of Florence | 2021-2022
Contact details
Edoardo Scali
UC Berkeley
130 Mulford Hall #3114
Berkeley, CA 94720