Introduction to major contributors
Prof. Dr. Mingju Li
Yunnan Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control of Agricultural Transboundary Pests, Agricultural Environment and Resources Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650205, China
lily69618@163.com
Dr. Mingju Li, Professor of plant pathology at Agricultural Environment and Resources Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming, China. She mainly engaged in wheat rust research, focus on epidemiology, virulence characterization and molecular population genetics of pathogen, wheat varieties resistance assessment and resistance genes research, etc. Dr. Li got PhD in plant pathology from Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in 2013, and has been studied as a visiting scholar at Washington State University, USA in 2016. She served as the Post Expert of the provincial Wheat and Barley Industrial System form 2020 to 2021. Since 2021, Dr. Li has been serving as the director of Wheat Pest Professional Committee of Plant Protection Society in Yunnan province, as well as the Principal Investigator of wheat diseases research group in her institute. Currently, Dr. Li serves as a reviewer for several international journals such as Plant Disease, Microbiology Spectrum, European Journal of Plant Pathology, etc. She has conducted several national projects, and has published more than 50 research articles so far, ten of them were cited by SCI, fifteen were included in Chinese core periodicals, and seven were collected in international conference proceedings. She has awarded both national and provincial Science and Technology Progress Awards.
Prof. (Associate) Dr. Sajid Ali
Department of Agriculture (Plant Breeding and Genetics), Hazara University, Mansehra, Pakistan
bioscientist122@yahoo.com
Dr. Sajid Ali, has acquired PhD in Genetics, Evolution and Population Biology from Paris-XI University, Paris, France. Dr. Ali has completed one Post-Doctorate in Population Genetics from Aarhus University, Denmark, and another from CIRAD-INRA-SupAgro University, Montpellier in crop and pathogen population genomics. He has expertise in crop and pathogen population dynamics at spatial and temporal scale along with in depth knowledge of genetics, breeding and ecological consequences of resistance genes deployment. Dr. Sajid Ali has a strong research group, initiated at University of Agriculture, Peshawar, and now at Hazara University, Mansehra, Pakistan, which is focused on understanding crop and pathogen diversity and population structure in the context of invasion and adaptation. The research work conducted in collaboration with other internationally recognized research groups has enabled to generate substantial results on wheat rust population biology with worldwide importance. Dr. Ali has earned several research grants from international donors like European Research Council-EU, CIMMYT-USDA-USA, JIC-UK and HEC-Pakistan. The work on crop improvement contributed to the development of wheat variety “Ghanimat-e-IBGE”, Brassica varieties “Dalai” and “Rokhana” and Common Bean variety “Himalaya-1”. The group has strong collaboration with research groups at international level (e.g., in Australia, Denmark, Canada, France, Mexico and UK), regional level (e.g., in China, Nepal, Bhutan, Iran and Afghanistan) and national level. He has research publication in internationally reputed journals like PLoS Pathogens, Molecular Ecology, Molecular Ecology Resources, Plant Pathology, Plant Disease, Fungal Genetics and Biology, Phytopathology and Ecology and Evolution. Dr. Ali has been invited to talk at various international conferences including events at Oxford University of UK, NIAB, Cambridge of UK, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University of China and Aarhus University of Denmark. Dr. Ali has been awarded Research Productivity Award twice (in 2016 and 2017) and Fakhre-Peshawar Award (2019).
Prof. Dr. Emad Mahmood Ghaleb Al-Maaroof
Biotechnology and Crop Science Dept., College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Sulaimani, IKR, Iraq
emad.ghalib@univsul.edu.iq
Dr. Emad Mahmood Ghaleb Al-Maaroof, Professor of plant pathology and cereals diseases at the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences at the University of Sulaimani, IKR, Iraq. He engaged in wheat rust research programs that focus on disease resistance and management, epidemiology, physiological specialization, virulence analysis and pathogen molecular characterization. He recently worked as a consultant at International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) as Coordinator of the Harmonized Support for Agricultural Development in Iraq (HSAD) project, as well as the Head of the (ICARDA) Office in Erbil, IKR, to develop Iraq’s agriculture sector. He was previously the Head of Plant Pathology Department at Iraq’s Ministry of Science and Technology. He has developed over twenty new wheat and barley cultivars that are resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses. He has received three international scientific awards and six local awards in the field of food security and agricultural innovation from various international organizations, scientific centers, and universities. He has over 100 scientific journals publications and attended over 180 international and local conferences. He has served on the editorial?boards of three international scientific journals and as a reviewer for over 40 local, regional and international scientific journals. He supervised a large number of postgraduate students, doctoral and master’s degree holders, as well as holders of higher and initial degrees.
Prof. Dr. Baidya Nath Mahto
Nepal Agricultural Research Council, Singhdarbarplaza, Kathmandu, Nepal
bnmahto_7@hotmail.com
Dr. Baidya Nath Mahto involved in plant pathology research with special thrust to wheat pathology, rusts and foliar blights in particular. His research focus on wheat varietal resistance, virulence characterization, pathogenic variability, gene postulation, epidemiology, etc. He received PhD from Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, India in 2000. He has been awarded with several honors and awards. He went for Fulbright visiting research scholar for a year during 2010 in North Dakota State University (NDSU), USA. He got Wheat Improvement Training at CIMMYT, Mexico for a year during 1991. He has visited several universities and research institutions as a visiting scientist abroad. He worked as an Executive Director and Principal Scientist (Plant Pathology) of Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC), Kathmandu, Nepal and served for more than 30 years and also hold different positions as Director of Planning and Co-ordination, Director of Financial Administration and Chief of Plant Pathology, etc. He has been working as an adjunct professor at Himalayan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (HICAST) under Purbanchal University, Kathmandu, Nepal. Presently, he serves as Honorable Member, Provincial Policy and Planning Commission, Province No.2 Janakpurdham, Nepal and prepared Policies Plan especially for Agriculture sector and played significant role in preparation of Periodic Plan and Policies, monitoring and evaluation. He had conducted several projects and published more than 120 research articles in national and international journals and proceedings. He worked as a chair for Conservation Agriculture for Sustainable Intensification (CASI) Platform in South Asia 2018 and national expert and resource person for Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) in context of WTO.
Prof. (Assistant) Dr. Ahmad Abbasi Moghadam
Seed and Plant Improvement Institute (SPII), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
abasimoghadam@gmail.com
Dr. Ahmad Abbasi Moghadam is a member of the Scientific Board of SPII, AREEO. He investigates, evaluates, and characterizes plant germplasm accessions by classic and molecular techniques for seed health and disease resistance. He got his PhD in Plant Pathology from Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India, in 2003 with the scholarship award from AREEO, Iran. He was attend training programs on wheat rusts by ICARDA and later CYMMIT in Syria and Kenya. He has worked as a member of the Scientific Board of SPII, AREEO, head of seed health lab, deputy head of genetic department and national plant gene bank of Iran, SPII, member of Research Advisory Board, Head of Information technology and computer of SPII, member of the Boards of Trustees of the Iranian Mycological Society. He was supervisor/co-advisor of 14 MSc/PhD thesis project and published more than 75 research articles.
Prof. Dr. Mohamed A. Gad
Plant Pathology Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza 12619, Egypt
mohamedabo2002@yahoo.com
Dr. Mohamed A. Gad is a well-recognized scientist at the Plant Pathology Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Egypt. He has worked on wheat and rust diseases with many good publications. Dr. Gad has established a good national network related to his research work along with strong international linkages. He got his PhD in Biotechnology from Gauhati University, India in 2012. He has completed post-doctorate in Agricultural Environment and Resources Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China in 2019. Dr. Gad is oriented towards the field testing of wheat germplasm along with tracking the pathogen population.