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Tag: pathology

Naeela Qureshi

Written by mcallejas on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Naeela Qureshi is a wheat rust pathologist and molecular geneticist at CIMMYT in Mexico, facilitating extensive research on wheat rust in Mexico and Kenya. Her role is critical in supporting the breeding and physiology teams of CIMMYT’s Global Wheat Program. She also focuses on unraveling the genetic components of rust resistance through Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) mapping. Naeela uses advanced bi-parental recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations and develops molecular markers linked to rust resistance genes and QTL to improve marker-assisted breeding strategies.

Previously, Naeela was a Research Scientist-Molecular Genetics at Agriculture Victoria Research, Australia, specializing in next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies such as targeted genotyping by sequencing (tGBS), RNA sequencing, and amplicon resequencing across diverse genetic populations and lines. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Sydney, Australia.

Lennin Musundire

Written by mcallejas on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Lennin Musundire is responsible for supporting the National Agriculture Research Systems (NARS) in Africa to develop breeding improvement plans to deliver higher genetic gains targeted at smallholder farmers. These improvement plans will focus on product profiles, breeding scheme optimization, use of genotyping, automation, mechanization, appropriate breeding software and links with seed producers. Provides support to national breeding teams in African countries, implements an all-inclusive internal breeding pipeline optimization plan supported by the Excellence in Breeding platform as well as supports national partners to integrate and build breeding networks with CGIAR institutes and regional, national partners.

 

Zerihun Tadesse Tarekegn

Written by mcallejas on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Zerihun Tadesse is an associate scientist in the Global Wheat Program based in Mexico. His research focus is on developing and implementing modern breeding strategies to accelerate genetic gain in bread wheat populations. His goal is to develop high-yielding, early maturing, disease-resistant, and nutritious bread wheat lines for large target areas in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Harish Gandhi

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Harish Gandhi is a Breeding Lead for Dryland Legumes and Cereals in CIMMYT’s Genetic Resources program in Kenya. He is a transformative plant breeding and genetics professional, with more than 15 years experience of driving genetic gains, building effective teams, and pioneering innovative research and development.

Shubham Bhagat

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Shubham Bhagat is currently working on the Climate Resilience Agriculture program and has expertise in agriculture mechanization and equipment, remote sensing, drone usage and farmer welfare programs, and research on varieties development.

Kh. Abul Khayer

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Kh. Abul Khayer is a machinery development officer with CIMMYT’s Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) program in Bangladesh. He conducts demonstrations, adaptive trials and field days, and coordinates participatory trails on major cereals, vegetables, oilseeds and grain legumes. He collects and reports on data from farmer participatory trials, and assists on monitoring and evaluation of project activities.

For the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA), Khayer conducts training needs assessments and imparts formal and informal training to partners, farmers and service providers in cooperation with CSISA team members. He analyzes and creates the project scope and milestones.

Khayer interacts with and organizes meetings with various stakeholders and partners to discuss, streamline and aid the implementation of field activities. He facilitates partnerships with a wide range of clientele from public and private sector organizations, including farmers’ groups.

Carlos Muñoz

Written by Leslie Domínguez on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Carlos Muñoz is an Research Associate – Maize Phytopathology working with CIMMYT’s Maize program.

Muñoz works on the phenotyping of the main diseases and pests that affect maize crops in Mexico with high natural incidence, and develops protocols for artificial inoculations that help identify and develop resistant maize through genetic and molecular improvement.

He is currently working on the validation of agronomic, biological and chemical management tactics to reduce mycotoxin contamination and on advising producers and technicians on the correct diagnosis of the causal agent of biotic or abiotic stresses.

Geremew Awas Abdi

Written by Emma Orchardson on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Geremew Awas Abdi is a Research Officer II Breeder/Agronomist with CIMMYT’s Global Wheat Program, based in Ethiopia.

Beyhan Akin

Written by Rodrigo Ordóñez on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Beyhan Akin is a senior scientist with CIMMYT’s Global Wheat Program, based in Turkey.

She joined CIMMYT in 1987 and has since worked across different areas of the International Winter Wheat Program (IWWIP), including supporting capacity development for national and regional collaborators and conducting in-service trainings for young researchers from the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region. Since 2020, she is leading the International Winter Wheat Improvement Program for CIMMYT and the Spring Wheat Program in Turkey.

Akin obtained her PhD from the Aegean University in Izmir, Turkey, in 2007. She had post-graduate research activities at Washington State University in 2009 on Yellow Rust.

Gerald Blasch

Written by Emma Orchardson on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Gerald Blasch is a Crop Disease Geo-Spatial Data Scientist whose work focuses on research for development (R4D) of remote sensing and geospatial solutions for crop disease early warning systems. He holds a PhD in Agricultural Remote Sensing from Technical University Berlin, Germany, and an MSc in Physical Geography from University Regensburg, Germany.

Blasch has 13 years of research and consultancy experience on both international and national projects in the agriculture and development sectors of several countries (e.g. Australia, China, Germany, Mexico, and the UK). As researcher, he developed remote sensing and GIS tools for precision and conservation agriculture, digital soil mapping, and environmental monitoring during his Post-Doc (Newcastle University, UK) and PhD studies (GFZ Potsdam, Germany), and consultancy activities (CIMMYT, Mexico). As a GIS expert (GIZ, Germany; SEMARNAT, Mexico) he built and managed a GIS for waste management, including capacity building and knowledge transfer.

Dagne Wegary Gissa

Written by Emma Orchardson on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Dagne Wegary works as maize breeder, mainly focusing on the development and deployment of high yielding, and abiotic and abiotic stress-tolerant maize varieties for resource-poor farmers in eastern and southern Africa. He is coordinating multi-location on-station regional variety trials that are conducted in collaboration with NARS and seed companies in eastern and southern Africa.

Before moving to Zimbabwe in 2019, Wegary worked as CIMMYT’s maize seed systems specialist based in Ethiopia. During this period, he contributed to the release of several maize varieties, production and distribution of early generation seeds of selected varieties, which boosted maize production and productivity in the country. He is also actively involved in technical capacity building of NARS and seed company partners.

L.M. Suresh

Written by Emma Orchardson on . Posted in Uncategorized.

L.M. Suresh leads CIMMYT’s maize pathology efforts in sub-Saharan Africa. He regularly contributes to Global Maize Program projects that have strategic significance in maize pathology, disease diagnosis, epidemiology and disease resistance.

Suresh also works on maize lethal necrosis (MLN) phenotyping with public and private partnership at CIMMYT and the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization’s (KALRO) joint research station in Naivasha, Kenya. His team has phenotyped around 200,000 maize germplasm from various partners and 19 MLN resistant/tolerant hybrids have been released in east Africa so far. He has supported the training of more than 5000 researchers, students, extension workers, private seed company executives and farmers in rapid disease diagnosis and his contributions have helped to prevent further MLN spread throughout eastern and southern Africa.

Xinyao He

Written by Mary Donovan on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Xinyao He joined CIMMYT in 2011 and since then his main research area has been Fusarium head blight (FHB) and its associated mycotoxins, including phenotypic screening for FHB resistance, breeding for FHB resistance, genetic dissection of resistance mechanisms, and integrated FHB management.

He has also been heavily involved in wheat blast research since 2016, including field disease screening, genetic studies and marker validation, as well as participating in research and breeding activities for other wheat diseases such as Septoria tritici blotch, Septoria nodorum blotch, spot blotch, tan spot and Karnal bunt.

Sridhar Bhavani

Written by Emma Orchardson on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Sridhar Bhavani is a Senior Scientist, Head of Rust Pathology and Molecular Genetics working at CIMMYT HQ.

He is a passionate researcher leader with over 15 years of experience working on wheat traits especially rust diseases. He has demonstrated leadership in executing multiple international projects and established strong networks and linkages in East Africa, Asia and various global wheat partners.

As the Head of Rust Pathology, he oversees pathology, molecular genetics, and breeding strategy components in major projects such as: Accelerating Genetic Gains in Maize and Wheat (AGGMW) funded by BMGF; DFID, FCDO, BMGF & DFID funded Zn mainstreaming project; GRDC and ACRCP funded projects on delivering genetic tools and knowledge required to breed wheat and barley with resistance to leaf rust, stripe rust and stem rust; USAID funded project on wheat rust breeding; NMBU-Norway funded project on sustainable management of rust diseases in wheat; and a project led by Kansas State on New Sources of Genetic Disease Resistance.

Abdelfattah A. Dababat

Written by Rodrigo Ordóñez on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Abdelfattah A. Dababat (Amer) is the CIMMYT Country Representative in Türkiye and the leader of the Soil Borne Pathogens.

In 2009, he received a second post doctorate offer from CIMMYT to work on the soil borne pathogens. More than 600 scientists/students were benefited from the symposiums, workshops, and courses which he has organized since 2010.

He has co-supervised/co-supervising more than 45 Master and PhD students from around the world and he has published more than 130 peer-reviewed articles and more than 150 proceedings, abstracts, and 2 manuals, books, and book chapters.

He obtained his BSc in 1996 from Al-Najah National University and his MSc in 1999 from the University of Jordan in Amman. From 2009 to 2013 he worked at the Palestinian Agriculture Research Center for a trilateral project among Germany, Israel, and Palestine. In 2003, he received a PhD scholarship offer from the German KAAD to complete his PhD studies at Bonn University where he also did his post doctorate from 2007 to 2009.