This page includes a list of faculty advisors in Plant Pathology, a brief description of their research, and their location (Columbus or Wooster). Click on faculty name to view their individual profiles. This list is particularly helpful for a department overview and for prospective students.
Benitez Ponce, M. Soledad - Associate Professor
Phytobacteriology. Diversity and function of soil and plant-associated microorganisms and their contributions to plant growth. Integration of field, laboratory and computational analyses to explore how land management practices affect microbe-microbe and plant-microbe interactions in the soil-plant interface and their effects in plant health. (Wooster)
Bonello, Pierluigi (Enrico) - Professor
Molecular and Chemical Ecology of Trees. Ecological role of tree diseases; chemical ecology of tree/fungal pathogen/insect interactions; systemic disease and insect resistance induced in trees by fungal pathogens; soil type and soil management regime effects on mycorrhizal community structure of trees in simulated urban environments; emerging pathogens and insect pests of trees, including beech leaf disease. (Columbus)
Hand, Francesca Peduto - Professor and Graduate Studies Chair
Detection, characterization, and management of pathogens associated with ornamental crops (greenhouse, nursery/landscape). (Columbus)
Ivey, Melanie L. Lewis - Associate Professor
Fruit pathology, fresh produce safety, Extension outreach. (Wooster)
Jacobs, Jonathan M. - Associate Professor
Discovery Theme position in Emerging infectious disease ecology, plant-microbe interactions, bacteriology, international agriculture (Columbus)
Lopez-Nicora, Horacio - Assistant Professor and Provost's Early Career Scholar
Soybean Pathology and Nematology (Columbus)
Paul, Pierce A. - Chair and Professor
Biology, epidemiology, and integrated management of corn and wheat diseases, including Fusarium head blight (FHB) of wheat, powdery mildew, and Stagonospora blotch of wheat. Also: disease forecasting system for FHB of wheat; characterization of the resistance of commonly-cultivated corn hybrids to northern corn leaf blight (NCLB); determination of the race structure of the NCLB pathogen in Ohio; and development of risk-based management decision-making tools for important foliar diseases of corn (gray leaf spot and northern corn leaf blight) and wheat (Stagonospora blotch and powdery mildew). (Wooster)
Qu, Feng - Professor
Molecular plant virology, plant antiviral defenses, including RNA silencing and resistance gene-mediated defense; interactions between different plant gene products (eg. DCLs, AGOs, and RDRs); and engineering virus resistance in crop plants by enhancing antiviral RNA silencing. (Wooster)
Slot, Jason C. - Professor
Fungal adaptation to ecological roles at the genomic level. Comparative and functional genomics techniques are used in a broad range of fungal species to address research questions such as: How do fungi acquire new metabolic capabilities? How do fungi adapt to biochemical weapons produced by their plant hosts? What are the genomic features that indicate good fungi that are turning bad? (Columbus)
Taylor, Christopher G. - Associate Professor
Molecular biology of root biotic interactions (nematodes, bacteria, fungi); nematology, biology of root parasitism and symbiosis, plant molecular biology, molecular microbiology. Master in Plant Health Management, Graduate Studies Co-Chair (Wooster)
Wang, Guo-Liang - Associate Chair, Endowed Professor of Plant Protection and OSU Distinguished Professor
Molecular genetics and genomics of plant-microbe Interactions. Mechanism of plant-pathogen interactions and the signal transduction pathways leading to the induction of disease resistance responses; host defense mechansisms. Both genetic and genomic approaches are used with rice as the model system. Also: novel genomics tools and resources for functional analysis of the rice and maize genomes. (Columbus)
Wu, Shaohui - Assistant Professor
Turfgrass health, turfgrass insect and disease pests, integrated pest management, insect pathology. Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology. (Columbus)
Xia, Ye - Associate Professor
My research interests are mainly focused on the biochemical, genetic, and molecular mechanisms as well as application of plant disease resistance and beneficial plant-microbe/microbiome interactions to improve plant health and yield for sustainable agriculture.