Jozef is a researcher and a member of the project team for the Upgrade of the Centre of Excellence LignoSilva. His main responsibilities include the development of support systems for the identification, monitoring, and eradication of wood-boring insect pests.

He studied Forestry at the Technical University in Zvolen, completing his degree in 2003, and subsequently pursued PhD studies at the Faculty of Forestry, Department of Forest Protection, focusing on bark and wood-boring beetles, especially Ips duplicatus.

He currently works as an inspector at the Forest Protection Service, where he specializes in bark and wood-boring beetles. He holds the scientific qualification degree IIa and contributes to the research and development of biotechnical methods in collaboration with both the forestry sector and private companies. He actively participates in national and international conferences aimed at transferring research results into practice, and he regularly engages with the global research community. He is a frequent contributor at IUFRO conferences and has published more than 30 original scientific papers on plant protection against harmful insects, with a focus on bark beetles and applied entomology, including articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Scientific results: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jozef-Vakula

Since January 2024, he has been part of the LignoSilva Centre of Excellence team as a project member. He works on the project as a specialist in bark beetles and wood-boring insects.

In his free time, he enjoys entomology, cynology and hunting.