People

Principle Investigators

  • David Bertioli, Principal Investigator (Department of Crops and Soil Sciences)
  • Georgia Research Alliance
  • Distinguished Investigator and Professor
  • Ph.D. Virology, University of Oxford, UK
  • B.Sc. Botany, University of Duhram, UK
  • 706-296-4832
  • bertioli@uga.edu
  • Soraya Leal-Bertioli, Principal Investigator (Department of Plant Pathology)
  • Senior Research Scientist
  • Ph.D. Plant Sciences, Nottingham University, UK
  • B.Sc. Biological Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brazil.
  • 706-296-4863
  • sorayab@uga.edu

Research Staff

  • Brian Abernathy, Scientific Computing Professional
  • Bioinformatics, system administration, UAS imaging and sensing
  • B.Sc. in Telecommunications and Networking Technology, Purdue University
  • bla@uga.edu
  • Jenny Leverett, Laboratory Supervisor II
  • B.S.Ed. in Health and Physical Education, University of Georgia
  • 706-255-6931
  • jkrogers@uga.edu


  • Mark Hopkins, Center for Applied Genetic Technologies Laboratory Parapro/Pro
  • B.Sc. Plant Pathology, B.Sc. Microbiology (1985) University of Georgia
  • M.Sc. Plant Pathology (1988) University of Georgia
  • mark.hopkins@uga.edu
  • Tyler Huckabee, Laboratory Technician
  • Lab Parapro at Complex Carbohydrate Research Center UGA (2020-2021)
  • Tyler.Huckabee@uga.edu
  • Yun-Ching Tsai, Post-Doctoral Associate (Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics)
  • Ph.D. Plant Pathology (2023), University of Georgia
  • M.Sc. Plant Pathology (2014), University of Georgia
  • B.Sc. Plant Pathology (2010), National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
  • yct@uga.edu
  • Alyr Mounirou, Post-Doctoral Associate (Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics)
  • Ph.D. Plant and Microbial Biotechnologies, and Plant Breeding (2023), Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar, Senegal
  • M.Sc. Plant and Microbial Biotechnologies (2017), Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar, Senegal
  • B.Sc. Biology, Chemistry and Geoscience option Science of life (2014), Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar, Senegal
  • mounirou.alyr@uga.edu

Graduate Students

  • Samuele Lamon, Ph.D. Student (Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics)
  • M.Sc. Crop and Soil Sciences (2019), University of Georgia.
  • M.Sc. Sustainable Agriculture (2019), University of Padua, Italy.
  • B.Sc. Agricultural Science and Technology (2016), University of Padua Italy.
  • Samuele.Lamon@uga.edu
  • Emile Cora Barnes, Ph.D. Student (Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics)
  • M.Sc. Biotechnology (2019), University of South Florida
  • B.A. Cell and Molecular Biology (2019), New College of Florida
  • Emile.Barnes@uga.edu
  • Namrata Maharjan, Ph.D. Student (Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics)
  • M.Sc. in Biological Sciences (2021), South Dakota State University, U.S.A.
  • B.Sc. in Agriculture (2017), Institute of Agriculture and Animal Sciences, Tribhuvan University, Nepal
  • B.Sc. in Environmental Science (2015), Tribhuvan University, Nepal
  • Namrata.Maharjan@uga.edu
  • Brandon Tonnis, Ph.D. Student (Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics)
  • M.Sc. in Biological Sciences (2002), University of Cincinnati, U.S.A.
  • B.Sc. in Biology (1999), Xavier University, U.S.A.
  • Brandon.Tonnis@uga.edu
  • Daniel Matusinec (Dan), Ph.D. Student (Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics)
  • M.Sc. in Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics (2021), University of Wisconsin
  • B.Sc. in Environmental Sciences and Political Science (2019), University of Wisconsin
  • Daniel.Matusinec@uga.edu
  • Alexi Dong, Ph.D. Student (Department of Plant Pathology)
  • B.Sc. in Plant Science (2021), University of Florida
  • Alexi.Dong@uga.edu
  • Danielle Ama Essandoh, Ph.D. Student (Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics)
  • M.Sc. Plant Breeding and Seed Systems (2021), Makerere University, Uganda
  • B.Sc. Crop Science (Plant pathology, 2017), University of Ghana, Ghana