Dr Evans Lagudah: molecular genetics and breeding to improve cereals

Dr Evans Lagudah leads a team investigating plant disease resistance genes to help improve cereal crops.

• 24 June 2010 | Updated 31 October 2011

Overview

• Current activities
• Background
• Academic qualifications

Dr Lagudah is the Sub Program Leader of Plant Resistance Genes.

Current activities

Dr Evans Lagudah's research activities are based on the integration of molecular genetics and conventional breeding of biotic and abiotic stresses, and grain quality attributes for cereal improvement.

A major focus of his current activity is on slow-rusting disease resistance aimed at achieving durable resistance in wheat as part of the Plant Resistance Genes team - a team with a research spectrum including:

• basic studies on flax-flax rust interaction
• activation tagging of cereal genes
• cloning of wheat disease resistance genes
• genomic analysis of targeted disease resistance traits
• the identification and utilisation of molecular markers for resistance breeding.

Background

Over the years Dr Lagudah's research activities have included:

• genome analysis of cereals
• nematode resistance in winter cereals
• storage protein genes of wheat and its relatives
• novel sources of agronomic traits from synthetic wheats
• pennisetum gene pool.

Academic qualifications

Dr Lagudah has a Bachelor of Science with Honours from the University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana. He was also awarded a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

See a list of scientific papers published by Dr Lagudah in his publishing history.