Research Interest;

Research in my lab is applied research. I study the identification, biology, epidemiology and control of fungal and bacterial pathogens associated with subtropical crops using applied and molecular approaches. My research concentrates on the identification of trunk and root disease pathogens on avocado, citrus, and grapevine, their inoculum source, dispersal mechanisms, and host-pathogen relationships to develop effective control strategies. As an extension plant pathologist, I also monitor and detect any new diseases threatening subtropical crops in California.