Speakers

DR. ALBERTO FERERES

ICA-CSIC, Spain

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Alberto Fereres is part of the 2% of the most influential scientists worldwide according to a bibliometric study carried out by Stanford University, California (USA) in 2023 based on the number of citations according to Scopus and other indicators of scientific production (Ioannidis JPA, Boyack KW, Baas J (2020) Updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators. Fereres is part of the 100 most relevant Spanish scientists in Agricultural Sciences according to the ranking listed in the scientific web Research.com which counts the scientific contributions from 2014 to 2022.

Dr. ANDERS KVARNHEDEN

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden

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Dr. Anders Kvarnheden is a professor of plant virology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and a visiting professor at the Estonian University of Life Sciences. He holds a PhD in Physiological Botany from Uppsala University, where he researched the nuclear genome of Norway spruce. With extensive experience in virology, Dr. Kvarnheden has held academic positions at institutions worldwide, including postdoctoral work in New Zealand and the UK. He is a member of several editorial boards and has published over 67 peer-reviewed articles. His work focuses on viruses in crops, engaging directly with agricultural stakeholders to communicate research findings and impact.

DR. JUDITH K. BROWN

University of Arizona, USA

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Judith K. Brown is a Regents Professor at the School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, where she also works in the Department of Entomology. She earned her degree in Horticulture with a specialization in Plant Pathology from Texas A&M and Washington State University, completing her Ph.D. in 1984 and a postdoctoral fellowship in 1985. Since 1990, she has been a faculty member at the University of Arizona, leading research on emerging plant viruses and insect vector interactions, focusing on genomic and reverse genetics approaches to understand and combat viral diseases in economically important crops. Her international career spans collaborations in over 65 countries, addressing plant diseases in diverse agricultural systems. She is a member of societies such as the American Phytopathological Society and has received significant honors, including Fellow titles from both the AAAS and APS.

DR. KERRY E. MAUCK

University of California, USA

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Dr. Kerry E. Mauck is an Associate Professor and A.M. Boyce Endowed Chair in Entomology at the University of California, Riverside. She holds a Ph.D. in Entomology from Penn State University and has extensive postdoctoral experience from ETH Zürich. Her research primarily focuses on plant-insect-virus interactions, studying how pathogens influence host-vector behavior and the ecological impacts on agricultural systems. Dr. Mauck has published over 35 primary research articles and several book chapters, received numerous grants, and regularly presents at national and international conferences. Her work has important implications for sustainable pest management and ecological balance in crop systems.

DR. LAVA KUMAR

IITA, Nigeria

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Dr. Lava Kumar Pullikanti is the Head of the Virology, Diagnostics, and Germplasm Health Units at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan, Nigeria. With a Ph.D. in Virology from SV University, India, he has over 26 years of experience in plant virology, focusing on disease management, diagnostics, and seed health. His research includes virus characterization and the development of ICT tools for disease surveillance, particularly for crops like cassava, yam, maize, and legumes in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Dr. Kumar has led numerous international projects and initiatives, publishing over 130 peer-reviewed articles and supervising PhD and MSc students. He is an active member of various scientific organizations and has received several prestigious awards for his contributions to agricultural research and plant health.

DR. NICOLÁS E. BEJERMAN

CONICET-INTA, Argentina

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Nicolás Esteban Bejerman is a highly experienced researcher specializing in plant virology and molecular characterization of plant viruses. He holds a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the National University of Córdoba, Argentina, and has completed postdoctoral research at KU Leuven, Belgium, and the University of Queensland, Australia. Currently, he is an adjunct researcher at CONICET and works at IPAVE-CIAP-INTA. His primary research focuses on virus-host interactions, virus discovery, and the epidemiology and ecology of plant viruses. He is a co-chair of the Rhabdoviridae study group within the ICTV and has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications in virology.

DR. OZGUR BATUMAN

UF- SWFREC

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DR. RENATO B. BASSANEZI

Fundecitrus, Brazil

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Renato Beozzo Bassanezi holds a degree in Agricultural Engineering and a MSc and DR in Agriculture, focusing on Plant Pathology, from the Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz" at the University of São Paulo. He is a scientific researcher at Fundecitrus, where he also coordinates the Plant Pathology area and teaches in the Professional Master Course on Citrus Plant Health. Renato has collaborated with the FAO, been a member of several international research societies, and contributed significantly to managing Huanglongbing (HLB) in citrus. His research has been widely published, with over 90 articles and 20 book chapters, and he has secured major research grants to study HLB and improve citrus production.

DR. SANTIAGO ELENA

CSIC-UV, Spain

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Santiago Francisco Elena Fito is a Professor at the Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio) in Spain, specializing in systems biology, molecular epidemiology, evolutionary genetics, and host-virus interactions. He holds a PhD in Biology from the Universitat de València and has been a prominent researcher in experimental evolution, particularly focusing on RNA viruses. With extensive experience in both academia and international research institutions, his work integrates experimental analysis, phylogenetics, and mathematical modeling to study virus-host dynamics. Elena has supervised 12 doctoral theses, contributed to over 200 publications, and received numerous awards, including election to the Academia Europaea and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His current projects involve virus evolution, host immunosenescence, and viral pathogenesis.