1976 A.B. Political Science, cum laude Kenyon College
1985 Ph.D. Cellular, Molecular & Development Biology, Indiana University
POSITIONS AND EMPLOYMENT
1985-1988
Postdoctoral Fellow Plant Breeding Institute, Cambridge, England
1988-1992
Postdoctoral Fellow Sainsbury Laboratory, John Innes Centre, Norwich, England
1992-1997
Assistant Research Geneticist, NSF Center for Engineering Plants for Resistance Against Pathogens (CEPRAP) University of California-Davis
1997-1999
Principal Research Scientist, DNA Plant Technology Corp., Oakland, CA
1999-2001
Research Fellow, DNA Plant Technology Corp., Oakland, CA
2002-Present
Supervisory Research Geneticist USDA-ARS and Adjunct Associate Professor, Dept. of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
1996
Published the first description of direct interaction of pathogen effector molecules with plant R-gene proteins.
1997-1999
At the DNA Plant Technology Corp (DNAP), Oakland CA, demonstrated that activation of R-gene responses can be engineered so that they provide resistance against a broad-spectrum of pathogens.
2000-2002
Led a research group at DNAP working to engineer broad-spectrum disease resistance in vegetable crops.
2002-2005
At the USDA-ARS, CPPC Research Unit, West Lafayette developed the first virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) system for functional genomics research in hexaploid wheat.
2005-present
Successfully applied the VIGS system for functional genomics analysis of a wide range of wheat and barley pathosystems.
2016
US Patent: A transgene construct for improved resistance to Fusarium head blight in wheat and barley.