Plant Physiologist | ICBA | Tunisia
Dr. Henda Mahmoudi is a Plant Physiologist at the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. She holds a Ph.D. in Plant Biology (2008) and a Master’s Diploma in Plant Physiology (2002) from the Faculty of Sciences of Tunis and the National Institute of Scientific and Technical Research, Tunisia, with specialization in plant eco-physiology and iron deficiency mechanisms in legumes. Her primary research focuses on plant eco-physiology, salinity management, and sustainable crop production under abiotic stress conditions, with emerging interests in biotechnology-driven soil and water conservation strategies. Dr. Mahmoudi has held several key academic and research positions, including Assistant Professor at the Center of Biotechnology in Borj-Cédria, Tunisia, and Biotechnologist and Visiting Scientist at ICBA. Her research has led to significant contributions in stress-resilient crop development, innovative soil enhancement techniques, and digital agriculture applications, including the development of AI-powered tools for plant disorder detection and contributions to international projects on quinoa drought tolerance and rhizosphere microbiota. She has secured and led numerous competitive grants, including large-scale initiatives funded by USAID, QNRF, and international development agencies, and has contributed to policy-relevant projects across North Africa and the Middle East. Dr. Mahmoudi has received notable research grants and serves on editorial boards, peer-reviews for high-impact journals, and is an active member of various international scientific networks. She has organized international workshops on climate-smart agriculture, women’s empowerment in agricultural innovation, and vertical farming, reflecting her leadership in capacity development. Her vision centers on advancing sustainable agriculture through integrative plant science, biotechnology, and digital innovation to address global food security and climate resilience challenges, fostering knowledge exchange between science, society, and industry.
Profiles: Google Scholar | Scopus | ORCID
Featured Publications
1. Buchaillot, M. L., Mahmoudi, H., Thushar, S., Yousfi, S., Serret, M. D., Kefauver, S. C., & Araus, J. L. (2025). Monitoring salinity stress in Moringa and Pomegranate: Comparison of different proximal remote sensing approaches. Remote Sensing, 17(2045). https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17122045
2. Ali, S., Mir, R. A., Tyagi, A., Manzar, N., Kashyap, A. S., Mushtaq, M., ... Mahmoudi, H., & Bae, H. (2023). Chromium toxicity in plants: Signaling, mitigation, and future perspectives. Plants, 12(7), 1502. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12071502
3. Tyagi, A., Ali, S., Ramakrishna, G., Singh, A., Park, S., Mahmoudi, H., & Bae, H. (2022). Revisiting the role of polyamines in plant growth and abiotic stress resilience: Mechanisms, crosstalk, and future perspectives. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-022-10847-3
4. Kouhen, M., García-Caparrós, P., Twyman, R. M., Abdelly, C., Mahmoudi, H., Schillberg, S., & Debez, A. (2022). Improving environmental stress resilience in crops by genome editing: Insights from extremophile plants. Critical Reviews in Biotechnology. https://doi.org/10.1080/07388551.2022.2042481
5. Mahmoudi, H., Koyro, H. W., & Abdelly, C. (2009). Comparison of two chickpea varieties regarding their responses to direct and induced iron deficiency. Experimental and Environmental Botany, 66, 349–356. https://doi.org/10.1080/07388551.2022.2042481