Research area
Research in the De Moraes group focuses on exploring the role of information transfer via sensory cues and signals in shaping interspecific ecological interactions. The primary focus of the group is on chemical signaling and specifically on the role of olfactory information in interactions among plants and other organisms. Within this framework, the group explores a broad range of topics, including multi-​trophic plant-​insect interactions and disease transmission by insect vectors. The overarching goal of this work is to address novel and important questions in basic ecology that also have applied relevance for sustainable agriculture, ecological conservation and human health.

Teaching in the group includes a number of courses relating to insect biology, plant-​insect interactions, and the role of communication in mediating interspecific ecological interactions, which are targeted primarily to students in Environmental Systems Science (D-​USYS), Biology (D-​BIOL), and other life-​science disciplines. These courses are designed to provide students with a clear understanding of core concepts, as well as familiarity with important open questions in basic and applied science and the research techniques and methods that can be brought to bear on such questions.

The De Moraes group also oversees the ETH Zurich Entomological Museum, which hosts one of the most important insect collections in central Europe with over two million specimens. In addition to serving as an important resource for researchers and educators, the museum has taken an active role in public outreach and education, including via frequent guided tours of the museum’s holdings by school groups and the general public, as well as more focused educational exhibits. The museum also serves as an important educational resource for ETH students by hosting specialized seminars and workshops on relevant topics. A major focus of the collection’s current work is to digitize its holdings in order to create online resources for both research and education.
Selected Honors and Awards

2018:    Nan-​Yao Su Award for Innovation and Creativity in Entomology, Entomological Society of America (ESA)

2013:    Elected Fellow of the Entomological Society of America (ESA)

             The International Society of Chemical Ecology Silverstein-​Simeone Award (Recognizes outstanding recent or current work at the frontiers of Chemical Ecology)

2011:    Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAs)

             The Bobby C. Pass Speaker Award  “for inspiring Scientific creativity of Graduate Students”, University of Kentucky

             The spirit of Internationalization award,  Penn State University

             Distinguished Speaker, W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology at North Caroline State University

2008:    Early Career Innovation award, Entomological Society of America (Sponsored by BASF)               

             Perry Adkisson Distinguished Speaker Award, Texas A&M University

2007:    National Science Foundation CAREER Award

             Sawicki Lecture Honored Speaker, Rothamstead Research, England

             Community of Teaching Excellence Award, Pennsylvania State University

2006:    DuPont Young Professor Award

2005:    Emerald Award,  (Sponsored by Science Spectrum Magazine)

2003:    Beckman Foundation Young Investigator Award

2002:    David and Lucile Packard Foundation Award