Vera Zina is an entomologist with a Master's degree in Plant Protection (2008) and a PhD in River Restoration and Management (2022) from the School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon. Her research interests and experience focus on aspects of ants' ecology, biodiversity, and taxonomy. She has worked on several research projects related to entomology and pest management, from which the studies of ant biodiversity associated with citrus groves stand out and the economic and ecological impacts of the invasive Argentine ant (2010-2018). She currently works as a post-doctoral researcher at Agroscope, Zurich, where she investigates the effects of insecticide drift on non-target Arthropods in off-crop habitats (2022-2024).