Head of SASA and
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Research interests/Areas of expertise
- Strategic plant health biosecurity and research of relevance to agriculture, horticulture, the natural environment and forestry sectors.
- The development of novel diagnostics for the detection of plant pathogens and their application in the study disease development in the environment.
- Use of molecular methods in wildlife crime forensics.
- Molecular nematology focusing on Ditylenchus dipsaci and PCN.
- Deployment of molecular methods to replace routine visual examination of samples.
- Scottish Government representative in the Euphresco network
- Insect vectored bacterial diseases Liberibacter solanacearum and Xylella fastidiosa
- Novel approaches to disease management (biofumigation, trap cropping, suppressive microbes)
- Molecular soil ecology
I have over 40 peer-reviewed publications.
Biography
2025 - ongoing Head of SASA and Chief Plant Health Officer for Scotland
2019 - 2025 Head of Professional Development for Science, Scottish Government
2021 - 2025 Head of Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Wildlife Group, SASA
2008 - 2021 Head of Diagnostics, Wildlife and Molecular Biology Branch, SASA
1997 - 2008 Broad-leaved Pathology & Diagnostics Team Leader; NIAB, Cambridge
1994 - 1997 Post-Doc; Plant Pathology, SAC, Auchincruive, Scotland
1991 - 1994 PhD “The biology and pathogenic variation of Erysiphe sp. on Rhododendron” University of
Strathclyde / Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh.
SASA