Plant Pest Diagnostics Center - Plant Pathology Laboratory Staff
Scientific Staff
Dr. Cheryl Blomquist, Senior Plant Pathologist (Cheryl's webpage)
Education: B.S., 1981, Washington State University, Pullman; Ph.D., 2000, University of California, Davis.
Experience: Visiting Posdoctoral Scientist, Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, 2000-2001; Associate Plant Pathologist (Diagnostician), California Department of Food and Agriculture, 2001-2004; Senior Plant Pathologist (Diagnostician), California Department of Food and Agriculture, 2004-present.
Area of Specialty/Responsibility: Sudden Oak Death nursery and forestry testing, Phytophthoras, general Mycology.
Dr. Barry Hill, Senior Plant Pathologist (Barry's webpage)
Education: B.S., 1964, 1969, University of California, Santa Cruz; M.S., 1971, California State University, Long Beach; Ph.D. 1995, University of California, Berkeley.
Experience: Training Manager, Chiron Corporation, 1996-1998; Water Resource Analyst, Whatcom County, Washington, 1998-2000; Senior Plant Pathologist, California Department of Food and Agriculture, 2001-present.
Area of Specialty/Responsibility: Mechanisms of transmission and epidemiological factors affecting the spread of Pierce's Disease in California grape vineyards, and other plant diseases also caused by Xylella fastidiosa
Dr. Suzanne Rooney Latham, Associate Plant Pathologist (Suzanne's webpage)
Education: A. S. Merced College, 1996; B.S., 1999. University of California, Davis; M.S, 2002, University of California, Davis; Ph.D. 2005, University of California, Davis..
Experience: Graduate Research Assistant, Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis. 1999-2005; Teaching Assistant, University of California, Davis, 2000, 2003; Post-Doctoral Scholar, Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, 2005-2006; Adjunct Professor, Solano Community College, Biology, 2006-present; Associate Plant Pathologist, California Department of Food and Agriculture, 2006-present.
Area of Specialty/Responsibility: Diagnose plant disease specimens caused by fungi; Diagnose Phytophthora ramorum the causal agent of Sudden Oak Death in California; Conduct research on newly emerging plant diseases in California.
Dr. Dan Opgenorth, Senior Plant Pathologist (Dan's webpage)
Education: B.S., 1969, The University of Wisconsin, Madison; M.S., 1972, Ph.D., 1980, Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside.
Experience: U.S. Army Medical Core, Letterman General Hospital, San Francisco, California, 1970-1972; Research Associate, Department of Plant Pathology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 1972-1974; USDA Extension Specialist, Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1974-1976; Senior Plant Pathologist, California Dept of Food and Agriculture, 1980-present.
Area of Specialty/Responsibility: Bacterial diseases of plants, with special interest in regulatory bacterial diseases of Citrus crops; Mycoplasma diseases and Corn Stunt incited by Spiroplasma kunkelii.
Dr. Tongyan Tian, Senior Plant Pathologist (Tongyan's webpage)
Education: B.S., 1982, Shenyang Agricultural College;Ph.D., 1991, University of California, Davis.
Experience: Senior Plant Pathologist (Diagnostician), CDFA-PPDB, 2001-present; Staff Research Asssociate, Dept. of Plant Pathology, UC Davis, 1997-2001; Visiting Postdoctoral Researcher, Dept. of Plant Pathology, UC Davis, 1992-1996; Postdoctoral Researcher, Dept. of Entomology, UC Davis, 1992 Feb.-1992 Aug.
Area of Specialty/Responsibility: Responsible for plant virus diagnostics.
Timothy Tidwell, Program Supervisor (Tim's webpage)
Education: B.A., Plant Science, 1973, California State University, Sacramento; M.S. Plant Pathology, 1977 University of California, Davis.
Experience: Postgraduate researcher, Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, 1977; Agricultural Biological Technician II, California Department of Food and Agriculture, 1977; Plant Pathologist I, California Department of Food and Agriculture, 1978-1979; Associate Plant Pathologist (Diagnostician), California Department of Food and Agriculture, 1979-1992; Environmental Research Scientist, California EPA, Department of Pesticide Regulation, 1992-1995; Associate Plant Pathologist (Diagnostician), California Department of Food and Agriculture, 1995-1997; Senior Plant Pathologist (Diagnostician), California Department of Food and Agriculture, 1997-1999; Senior Plant Pathologist (Supervisor), California Department of Food and Agriculture, 1999-2003; Program Supervisor (Plant Pathology, Nematology, Botany, Seed Botany), California Department of Food and Agriculture, 2003-present..
Area of Specialty/Responsibility: Plant Diseases caused by Fungal Pathogens; Tree Pathology; Seed Health Testing, Phanerogamic pathogens.
Dr. Yunping Zhang, Senior Plant Pathologist (Yunping's webpage)
Education: B.S., 1985, Plant Protection, Northwest Agriculture University, Yangling, China; Ph.D., 1996, Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis.
Experience: Research Assistant, Pomology Research Institute, Shaanxi Province, China, 1985 – 1988; Visiting Scholar, Washington State University, Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Prosser, Washington, 1988 – 1990; Graduate Study, University of California Davis, 1990 – 1296; Visiting post doctoral researcher, Department of Plant Pathology, UC Davis, 1997-1999; Staff Research Associate, Department of Plant Pathology, UC Davis, 1999-2001; Associate Plant Pathologist, California Department of Food and Agriculture, 2001-2006; Senior Plant Pathologist, Department of Food and Agriculture, 2006-present.
Area of Specialty/Responsibility: Nursery diagnostics laboratory; Seed health testing; Perennial fruit tree and grapevine viral diseases.
Supervisors
Timothy Tidwell, Program Supervisor (Tim's webpage)
Education: B.A., Plant Science, 1973, California State University, Sacramento; M.S. Plant Pathology, 1977 University of California, Davis.
Experience: Postgraduate researcher, Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, 1977; Agricultural Biological Technician II, California Department of Food and Agriculture, 1977; Plant Pathologist I, California Department of Food and Agriculture, 1978-1979; Associate Plant Pathologist (Diagnostician), California Department of Food and Agriculture, 1979-1992; Environmental Research Scientist, California EPA, Department of Pesticide Regulation, 1992-1995; Associate Plant Pathologist (Diagnostician), California Department of Food and Agriculture, 1995-1997; Senior Plant Pathologist (Diagnostician), California Department of Food and Agriculture, 1997-1999; Senior Plant Pathologist (Supervisor), California Department of Food and Agriculture, 1999-2003; Program Supervisor (Plant Pathology, Nematology, Botany, Seed Botany), California Department of Food and Agriculture, 2003-present..
Area of Specialty/Responsibility: Plant Diseases caused by Fungal Pathogens; Tree Pathology; Seed Health Testing, Phanerogamic pathogens.
Technical Staff
Terra Irving, Senior Agricultural Biological Technician
Erin Lovig, Senior Agricultural Biological Technician
Monica Negrete, Agricultural Biological Technician
Seasonal Technical Staff
Coming soon.
Former Scientific Staff