EDUCATION

Academic Qualifications
2007: Habilitation to Direct Research (HDR), Victor Segalen University, Bordeaux 2.
1994: PhD with European Label, completed jointly at Paris-Sud University (Paris XI Orsay, IBP) and Wageningen Agricultural University (Netherlands). Honors: Highest distinction with jury congratulations.
1990: Master of Science (DEA) in Molecular Genetics, University of Louvain (Belgium). Honors: Highest Honors (Très Bien) and Major.
1988: Engineering Degree, Institut Supérieur d'Agriculture (ISA Lille, France).

Academic appointments
2024–Present: Research Director, PrADAM team (Prunus: Adaptation, Diversity, and Amelioration), UMR BFP.
2008–Present: Research Director, INRAE (formerly INRA), Virology Team, UMR BFP.
2007 (6 months) & 2010 (4 months): OECD Sabbatical Fellowship (Visiting Researcher), Clemson University, Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, South Carolina, USA. Project: "Repeat sequences assembly and annotation in Peach and in the Linkage Group 1 of Apricot."
2002–2008: Research Scientist, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, seconded to the Plant Health Department, Virology Team, UMR BFP Biology of Fruit and Pathology (formerly GDPP), Villenave d’Ornon, France.
1997–2002: Research Scientist, INRA, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, U.R.E.F.V, Villenave d’Ornon, France.
1995–1997: Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO, Canberra, Australia. Plant Industry Department (Jim Peacock and Liz Dennis). Topic: "Genetic engineering of Eucalyptus for pest resistance."

RESEARCH TOPICS

Specialist in plant genetics and genomics, my expertise has been forged at the interface of virology, plant breeding, and evolutionary ecology. I use interdisciplinary and translational scientific approaches aimed at mobilizing wild genetic diversity to address the challenges of sustainable agriculture and climate change. As a leader of international consortia with six coordinated European projects, including Horizon Europe FRUITDIV, I manage large-scale networks to transform academic knowledge into operational solutions, focusing on the genus Prunus and using the model Arabidopsis thaliana. My research focuses on host-pathogen interactions and the characterization of plum pox virus (PPV) resistance mechanisms—from the molecular level to the population scale—as well as pangenomics to reconstruct the evolutionary history of apricot and almond while studying orchard resilience through the reintroduction of wild diversity. It has led to major outcomes, such as the identification of PPV resistance mechanisms, the successful transfer of resistance from almond to peach via marker-assisted introgression, and the creation of world-wide genomic & germplasm resources, including reference genome assemblies and the development of genome editing to accelerate breeding cycles.

Figure 1: Wild almond natural population related to cultivated almonds in Nakhchivan (Azerbaijan). See Decroocq et al., 2025, Evolutionary Applications.
 

Figure 2: Natural population of wild apple, pear, and plum trees in Southern Italy (Pollino National Park), studied as part of the European project FRUITDIV

CV on line : CV HAL : https://cv.hal.science/veronique-decroocq
ORCID : 0000-0001-6745-6350

AREAS OF EXPERTISE / SCIENTIFIC FIELDS

Evolutionary and comparative genetics and genomics; Quantitative genetics ; Fruit tree breeding ; Population genetics

MASTERED TECHNIQUES AND SPECIALTIES

Long-read and short-read sequencing, molecular labeling (SSR, SSLP, SNP), genome-wide association studies (GWAS), linkage mapping, transcriptomics, and metabolomics.

PUBLICATIONS

list of publications : the portail HAL-INRAE

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

Chief Editor of Tree Genetics & Genomes from the editor Springer Nature since 2019 and associate editor since 2014.
Member of the Scientific Committee, INRAE BAP Division (2016–2024).
Member of the Steering Committee for the SMACH metaprogramme, “Sustainable Management of Plant Health” (2015–2018), and its successor, SuMCrop, “Sustainable Management of Crop Species” (2019–present).
Member of the Steering Committee and the Technical Coordination Committee (CCT) of the PNRI (National Research and Innovation Plan): “Towards operational solutions against sugar beet yellows” (2020–2024).