Dr. Johanna Del Castillo Múnera

Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension
Department of Plant Pathology
University of California, Davis
Email: jdelcastillo@ucdavis.edu

Ph.D., Plant Pathology, Michigan State University
M.S. Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia
B.S. Microbiology, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia
Areas of interest: Basic biologic understanding of fungal and oomycete pathogens, and development of applied research to solve current problems that agriculture faces in greenhouse to the field continuum. I am particularly interested in developing and improving sustainable solutions for disease control through studies of fungal and oomycete biology, population genetics, and community ecology.

Dean Watson

Staff Research Associate
Accreditation to Improve Restoration (AIR)
Email: dcwatson@ucdavis.edu
B.S. Biological Sciences, UC Davis

Areas of Interest: Understanding Plant Pathosystems, including Microbial Ecology, Mycology, and Plant-Pathogen Relationships; Restoration Pathology and Ecology, California Native Habitat Restoration and Environmental Protection, and Disease Diagnostics. Teaching, Mentorship, and Science Communication.

Ruchika Kashyap

Post-doctoral researcher
email: rkashyap@ucdavis.edu
PhD. Plant Science, South Dakota State University, US
M.S. Plant Pathology, Punjab Agricultural University, India
B.S. Agriculture with (Hons.) in crop protection – Punjab Agricultural University, India

Areas of Interest: My goal is to develop disease diagnostic tools and effective plant disease management strategies, which can directly benefit the producers and bridge the gap in science communication

 

Sophia Acker 

Junior Specialist
email: swacker@ucdavis.edu
B.S.  Ecological Management and Restoration, UC Davis

Areas of interest:  disease management and the pathway between nurseries/greenhouses and the field.

 

Emily Carranza

Undergraduate Research Assistant
Email: ercarranza@ucdavis.edu
Major: Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology

Areas of Interest:  Disease management, sustainable agriculture, epidemiology of pathogens in plants and animals, and effects of biodiversity via the emergence and spread of disease.

 

 

Cynthia DuBridge

Undergraduate Research Assistant
email: cldubridge@ucdavis.edu
Major: Molecular and Medical Microbiology

Areas of interest:  disease management and pathogenesis.

 

 

Rahul Chawda 

Undergraduate Research Assistant
email: rachawda@ucdavis.edu
Major: Plant Sciences (Plant Breeding and Genetics)

Areas of interest: Crop production, nursery management and disease resistance (via breeding/genetics) to aid farmers with information and tools to thrive in agriculture production.

 

Katelyn Vang

Undergraduate Research Assistant
email: knvang@ucdavis.edu
Major: Biological Sciences

Areas of interest: Fungal pathology and genetics, fungal disease management and diagnostics.

 

Maggie Pena

Undergraduate Research Assistant
email: mepena@ucdavis.edu
Major: Microbiology

Areas of interest: 

 

PAST LAB MEMBERS

Andy Salazar (Junior Specialist)
Dimitri Arndt-Truong (Undergraduate Research Assistant)
Javier Damian Casillas (Undergraduate Research Assistant)
Ushta Samal (Undergraduate Research Assistant)
Natalie Troglio (Undergraduate Research Assistant)
Elver Lopez Raymundo (Lab technician)
Molly Irvin (Undergraduate Research Assistant)
Jesica Calderon (Undergraduate Research Assistant)