College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences

Education

B.S Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Colombia), Microbiology 
M.S Universidad de los Andes (Colombia), Biological Sciences (Microbiology) 
Ph.D. Cornell University (United States), Plant Pathology & Plant-Microbe Biology  

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Experience and Research Interests

I completed my PhD at Cornell University, where I studied the mode of action of the bacterial effector AvrRpt2 and its recognition by Ptr1, a novel resistance gene in tomato plants against bacterial speck disease. My research aimed to identify natural sources of disease resistance against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato through a combination of genetics, plant pathology, and molecular analyses. 

Currently, I am a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Alejandro Rojas’ lab at Michigan State University, where I am expanding my research to focus on fungal pathogens affecting cotton crops. My current projects involve monitoring foliar diseases in cotton fields using airborne spore sampling. This includes the development of molecular diagnostic tools and DNA quantification methods for screening cotton pathogens. Additionally, I am part of the National Predictive Modeling Tool Initiative (NPMTI) program, which employs cotton epidemiological models for target spot, aerial mildew, and seedling diseases to predict pathogen populations, disease progression, and their impact on the cotton crop. This multi-state project is dedicated to creating a forecasting tool that monitors disease across U.S. cotton-producing regions, enabling growers to take timely preventative actions.