George Heimpel
· Distinguished McKnight University ProfessorUniversity of Minnesota · Entomology
Active 1992–2026
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About
Professor George Heimpel is primarily a parasitoid ecologist with a focus on biological control solutions to pest and weed problems in both agricultural and natural systems. He teaches courses in Insect Behavior and Biological Control and collaborates extensively with students, post-doctoral researchers, and other colleagues to deepen the understanding of interactions that underpin safe and effective biological control. His current research projects include classical and conservation biological control of the soybean aphid in the United States, classical biological control of a parasite affecting Darwin’s finches in the Galapagos Islands, and classical biological control of the imported cabbageworm in the United States. More broadly, his lab investigates host specificity in parasitoids, indirect interactions in natural and agricultural ecosystems, sex determination in parasitoid wasps, the evolution of parasitoid reproductive strategies, and ecosystem services related to biological control in biofuel cropping systems.
Research topics
- Biology
- Artificial Intelligence
- Computer Science
- Machine Learning
- Data science
- Epistemology
- Toxicology
- Ecology
- Risk analysis (engineering)
- Business
Selected publications
Trait-based approaches to predicting biological control success: challenges and prospects
Trends in Ecology & Evolution · 2023 · 36 citations
Conservation Physiology · 2020 · 27 citations
), for two generations. We experimentally treated all nest material with a 1% permethrin solution or a water control and provided the material to breeding finches for nest building. The success of two consecutive clutches produced by the parental generation and one clutch produced by first-generation birds were tracked. Finches in the first generation were able to reproduce and fledge offspring after permethrin exposure, ruling out infertility. Permethrin treatment had no statistically significa…
Biological control for One Health
The Science of The Total Environment · 2024-08-26 · 23 citations
reviewOpen accessBiological control has been effectively exploited by mankind since 300 CE. By promoting the natural regulation of pests, weeds, and diseases, it produces societal benefits at the food-environment-health nexus. Here we scrutinize biological control endeavours and their social-ecological outcomes through a holistic ‘One-Health’ lens, recognizing that the health of humans, animals, plants, and the wider environment are linked and interdependent. Evidence shows that biological control generates desi…
Weighing consequences of action and inaction in invasive insect management
One Earth · 2024-05-01 · 19 citations
articleOpen accessSenior authorEcological Applications · 2024-07-30 · 17 citations
articleOpen access1st authorCorrespondingThe release of biological control agents has been an important means of controlling invasive species for over 150 years. While these releases have led to the sustainable control of over 250 invasive pest and weed species worldwide, a minority have caused environmental harm. A growing recognition of the risks of biological control led to a focus on risk assessment beginning in the 1990s along with a precipitous decline in releases. While this new focus greatly improved the safety of biological co…
Recent grants
Frequent coauthors
- 33 shared
Kris A. G. Wyckhuys
- 29 shared
Nicolas Desneux
Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement
- 24 shared
Keith R. Hopper
Beneficial Designs (United States)
- 23 shared
Nicholas J. Mills
University of California, Berkeley
- 18 shared
Mark K. Asplen
Metropolitan State University
- 17 shared
Paul J. Ode
Colorado State University
- 17 shared
Felix Wäckers
Best Biotech
- 15 shared
Charlotte E. Causton
Charles Darwin Foundation
Labs
Parasitoid ecologist and interested in biological control solutions to pest and weed problems in agricultural and natural systems.
Education
- 1970
Ph.D., Entomology
University of California, Berkeley
- 1966
M.S., Entomology
University of California, Berkeley
- 1964
B.S., Entomology
University of California, Berkeley
Awards & honors
- Distinguished McKnight University Professorship (2015)
- Filipo Silvestri Memorial Award (2024)
- Presidential Citation for Outstanding Achievement - Universi…
- Horace Albright Conservation Scholarship, University of Cali…
- John Kinsella College of Agriculture and Environmental Colle…
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