Keynote speakers - BotryScleroMoni | Thessaloniki 25-30 May 2025

Keynote & Invited Speakers

Belmonte Mark

University of Manitoba, Canada

Dr. Mark Belmonte is a Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Manitoba. With an extensive academic journey, including a PhD in plant science and postdoctoral training at UC Davis, Mark has become a leading expert in crop production and protection technologies. Mark has published his work over 65 times, been the recipient of numerous awards including CBC’s Top 40 under 40, the Canadian Society of Plant Biologists Research Excellence Award and has been recognized for his outstanding contributions to research, teaching and outreach by the Winnipeg Foundation and the University of Manitoba. Mark is devoted to promoting science education and research at outreach events across Canada and takes pride in training the next generation of young scientists.

Blanco Ulate Barbara

University of California, Davis, USA

Bárbara is an Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of California, Davis. She is originally from Costa Rica, where she graduated with a BS degree in Biotechnology Engineering. She obtained a Ph.D. in Plant Biology from UC Davis studying the susceptibility of tomato fruit to Botrytis cinerea, and conducted postdoctoral research in the Department of Viticulture and Enology, focusing on ripening and pathogen infections of grape berries. Since joining the faculty in 2016, she has established a well-funded program focused on fruit biology and quality. Her current research integrates physiological, genomic, and biochemical approaches to study fruit development and fruit-pathogen interactions with the goal of improving quality, nutrition, and shelf-life of fruit products. She has recently been appointed Co-director of the UC Postharvest Research and Extension Center.

De Miccolis Angelini Rita Milvia

University of Bari Aldo Moro, Italy

Rita Milvia De Miccolis Angelini is a Professor of Plant Pathology at the Department of Soil, Plant and Food Science of the University of Bari Aldo Moro. She has extensive research expertise in the molecular characterization of plant pathogens, classical and molecular genetics of filamentous fungi, and in defining new sustainable control strategies for plant and food protection, including the use of natural compounds, biological control agents, new physical control measures and plant resistance inducers. She focused her attention on problems due to acquired resistance to fungicides in Botrytis cinerea and she studied the genetic and molecular bases of the phenomenon. She is well skilled on de novo assembly of genomes of fungi and mycoviruses using NGS and third generation sequencing data and on transcriptome analysis applied to plant-pathogen interaction studies, to gain more insight into regulatory mechanisms of biological processes in phytopathogenic fungi, with particular regard to Monilinia species.

Hahn Matthias

University of Kaiserslautern, Germany

He obtained his dipoma in Biology in 1982 at the University of Munich, Germany, and his PhD in microbiology at the ETH Zurich, Switzerland, in 1987. From 1987 to 2000, he worked as a Postdoc at ETH Zurich, Stanford University (USA), MPI for Plant Breeding Research Cologne, and University of Constance. Since 2000, he is Professor for Phytopathology at the RPTU University in Kaiseslautern (Germany). His research interests are the mechanisms of infection and fungicide resistance of plant pathogenic fungi, in particular Botrytis cinerea, and their interaction with plant defence mechanisms. In recent years, his group has established a powerful CRISPR/Cas-based editing technique for Botrytis and related genera which allows single and multiple mutagenesis with greatly improved efficiency and precision.

Jiang Daohong

Huazhong Agricultural University, China

Dr. Daohong Jiang: Professor of Plant Pathology and Director of the State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology at Huazhong Agricultural University, China. Dr. Jiang obtained his Ph.D. in Microbiology from the same institution in 1999. He is a member of the International Society of Plant Pathology, the Chinese Society of Plant Pathology, and the Chinese Society of Mycology, and serves as the Chairman of the Hubei Provincial Society of Plant Pathology.

In recognition of his exceptional contributions, Dr. Jiang received funding from the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars in 2011 and was appointed as a Changjiang Scholar Distinguished Professor in 2012. His research primarily focuses on mycoviruses, endophytes, and biological control of plant diseases, with a particular focus on controlling diseases caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Notably, Dr. Jiang was the first to discover DNA mycovirus and negative-stranded RNA mycovirus, as well as the insect transmission vector of mycovirus. He also innovatively proposed the concept of ‘mycovirus-mediated plant vaccines’ and successfully applied plant vaccines to strengthen crop resistance against multiple diseases, and increase crop yield.

Dr. Jiang’s academic achievements are impressive, with over 240 publications in prestigious journals such as PNAS (including 4 papers), Mol Plant, ISME J, and others. He boasts an H-index of 54 and has been listed on the Elsevier China Highly Cited Scholar List for four consecutive years. His expertise has also been recognized through invitations to publish review papers in Annual Review of Microbiology and Annual Review of Phytopathology.

In 2018, Dr. Jiang was awarded the first prize of the Hubei Provincial Natural Science Award, further highlighting his significant contributions to the field.

Li Xin

University of British Columbia, Canada

BSc. in Genetics and Genetic Engineering from Fudan University
PhD in Plant Pathology from Oklahoma State University, working on soilborne pathogens of peanut, mainly Sclerotinia minor
Postdoc with Dr. Xinnian Dong at Duke University, studying systemic acquired resistance (SAR)
Joined UBC in 2001, became full professor at UBC in 2010
2022, awarded Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in plant immunity and Sclerotinia biology
2024, recognized as Highly Cited Researcher 2024 by Clarivate in the cross-field category

Melgarejo Paloma

INIA, Spain

My research career began, after finishing my university studies in Agricultural Engineering at the Higher School of Agricultural Engineering (ETSIA) of the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM), when I joined the Chair of Plant Pathology at the ETSIA in September 1978 with a Research Staff Training Grant awarded by the Ministry of Education and Science to carry out my PhD in Plant Pathology. My post-doctoral period lasted until 1985, when I obtained a position as a Researcher in the Department of Plant Protection of the National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research (INIA), in Madrid (Spain) where I have carried out my research and professional work ever since. During the years 2003-2008 I combined my research work with research and science policy management at the Ministry of Education and Science, first, then Science and Innovation, and Science and Technology, as a Scientific Manager of the National Programme of Agri-Food Resources and Technologies. I also gave lectures of Plant Pathology as an Associate Professor in the Biotechnology Department of the ETSIA, Madrid. From September 2008 to September 2017, I had the position of Deputy Director of Foresight and Programme Coordination at INIA, working in management, coordination and scientific policy. From September 2017 to September 2022, I worked at INRAE Paris as Scientific Coordinator of the 4 by 1000 Initiative “Soils for Food Security and Climate”. From September 2022, I am Head of the Plant Protection Department of INIA-CSIC. My scientific production is reflected in more than 150 SCI, 50 in books and collective volumes, 3 national and two international book editions, and more than 300 participations in congresses, 2 patents, all in the development of 45 research projects or agreements, 20 of which as PI. From 2017- 2023, I was a member of the Executive Committee of EUPHRESCO NETWORK. I am currently a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the OCDE- Cooperative Research Programme “Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems”, of the Joint Programming Initiative on Agriculture, Climate Change and Food Security (FACCE-JPI), as well as of the Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture (ALAS). I am indeed a member of the Board of the EU Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe”.

Raffaele Sylvain

INRAE, France

I obtained a Ph.D. from University of Toulouse (FR) in 2006 studying the role of plant lipids in resistance to pathogenic bacteria. During my postdocs in Bordeaux (FR) and at The Sainsbury Laboratory Norwich (UK) I focused on genomics and the interaction between plants and pathogens, particularly studying the potato late blight agent. Currently a researcher at INRAE (National Institute for Research on Agriculture, Food and the Environment) in Toulouse, I study the evolution of the molecular dialogue between plants and fungal pathogens, with a particular interest in pathogen genomics, immune evasion, and the molecular mechanisms of plant defense. Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is one of my favorite models for its remarkably broad host range and the fascinating molecular co-evolution with plants it entails.

Rollins Jeffrey

University of Florida, USA

Dr. Jeffrey Rollins is a professor of Plant Pathology at the University of Florida. His work on Sclerotinia sclerotiorum has played a significant role in establishing and utilizing molecular genetic tools to understand regulatory and mechanistic processes underlying pathogenesis and multicellular development in the Sclerotiniaceae. This research has expanded the conceptual understanding of necrotrophic pathogenesis helping to shed light on its complexity. Collaborative work on Botrytis cinerea has expanded our understanding on the similarities and differences between these two broad host range necrotrophic pathogens and recent work on Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi at the genomic and cytological levels is deepening our understanding of factors contributing to host-specificity in the Sclerotiniaceae.

Romanazzi Gianfranco

Marche Polytechnic University, Italy

After degree in Agricultural Sciences (1995) and PhD in Crop protection (1999) at University of Bari, in 2002 he moved to Ancona, where he is full professor of Plant Pathology at Marche Polytechnic University. He has experience in the management of pre and postharvest plant diseases with alternatives to synthetic fungicides (physical means and natural compounds). He studied the applications of chitosan and other basic substances for the management of diseases of grapes, stone fruits, strawberries and seed-bearing vegetable crops, with a particular focus on Botrytis cinerea and Monilinia spp. Mechanisms of actions were investigated, highlighting induced resistance in host plants and appropriate strategies for their triggering. Sequencing of Monilinia laxa, M. fructigena and M. fructicola was also recently run. He is President of Italian Association for Plant Protection (AIPP) and Chair of ISPP Seed Pathology Committee. Scopus database reports 162 papers, H-Index 43.

Rothman Lisa

University of Free State, South Africa

Dr. Lisa Rothmann is a Senior Researcher and Lecturer in Plant Pathology at the University of the Free State (UFS), South Africa. With a PhD in plant pathology, Dr. Rothmann leads a dynamic research group dedicated to managing Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and other fungal diseases in oil- and protein-seed crops. Her team is also responsible for the national sorghum disease surveillance program. Their research group bridges plant disease epidemiology with practical, producer-focused disease management strategies. Since joining UFS in 2021, Dr. Rothmann has had the privilege of graduating a talented group of postgraduate students, with three MSc and one PhD graduate. Currently, she supervises nine students who are conducting exciting research in plant pathology and plant breeding. With the support of industry and co-workers, in 2018, Dr. Rothmann founded the South African Sclerotinia Research Network. She continues to serve as the chairperson of its Community of Practice, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange. Dr. Rothmann is committed to making research findings accessible to producers and has written over 40 popular articles to share the team’s work with a wider audience. At BotryScleroMoni 2025, she will present insights on “Predictive power: building forecasting models for timely action against white mold,” focusing on considerations from their groups research as well as colleagues to transform predictive modeling into practical solutions for disease management.

Schnabel Guido

Clemson University, USA

Dr. Guido Schnabel is a Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist at Clemson University with over 30 years of experience working with pathogens of fruit crops. His research focuses on integrated management of peach and strawberry diseases. He studies cultural, biological, and chemical methods to manage fruit crop diseases, including those affecting peach and strawberry. His goals are to extend the effective life span of reduced-risk fungicides, reduce pesticide risk in orchards and fields, and understand and manage fungicide resistance. He developed and still maintains the MyIPM smartphone app for educators, consultants, and growers to facilitate disease diagnostics and disseminate IPM information. He is a Fellow of the American Phytopathological Society and has received numerous university-, regional- and national awards for his research and extension accomplishments.

Sharon Amir

University of Tel Aviv, Israel)

Dr. Amir Sharon is a prominent researcher in the field of plant sciences, serving as a member and head of the School of Plant Sciences and Food Security at Tel Aviv University. Professor Sharon is expert in plant-pathogen interactions, with a significant focus on the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea. His research delves into the molecular mechanisms that enable Botrytis pathogenicity, including stress adaptation and fungal effectors, and he is recognized as a pioneer in studying fungal programmed cell death (PCD) and Botrytis cell death-inducing proteins (CDIPs). His work not only enhances understanding of fungal biology but also contributes to innovative disease control strategies, such as engineering fungal-resistant plants.

Torres Rosario

IRTA, Spain

Rosario Torres is BSc in Biological Sciences at the University of Valencia (Spain), and PhD in Biological Sciences at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (Spain). She is a researcher of the Postharvest Programme at IRTA, located in the Fruitcentre of Lleida. Her research is focused on topics related to Postharvest Pathology of fruit to improve the basic knowledge of the most important fungal diseases of fruit, and develop sustainable control strategies to reduce postharvest losses (mainly in stone and pome fruit). These research activities have generated a great advance in knowledge of fungal diseases of fruit and are reflected in 135 articles published in SCI journals, 19 co-authors book chapters and 1 patent as co-author; she has also presented over 160 communications presented at international and national conferences, 5 of them as Keynote. Specifically, she has worked in alternative treatments such as biological control, chemical and physical treatments to control pathogens of fruit. Some of the diseases, as brown rot, are generated in the field; then an important contribution of her research activity has been to know the epidemiology of this pathogen and evaluated integrated strategies at field to reduce the incidence of the disease during the postharvest period. In addition, her research activities are focused on fruit-pathogen interactions to decipher the mechanism of defenses of fruit and the virulence factors of pathogens involved in the interaction. She has participated in several R&D projects from competitive calls of EU, Spanish and Catalan projects, and in different contracts with companies in the agri-food sector. Furthermore, she teaches in the University of Lleida, and in the Postharvest International Course of Postharvest Fruit Technology and Management, organized by IRTA, and currently she is the director. Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID): 0000-0002-1806-9626

Van Kan Jan

Wageningen University, the Netherlands

1983-1988 PhD Leiden University, The Netherlands

1989-present Postdoc and Associate Professor, Wageningen, The Netherlands

My research focuses on molecular genetics and functional genomics of necrotrophic fungi, with emphasis on Botrytis cinerea and related species. In the 1990’s, our group was the first to prepare genomic and cDNA libraries of B. cinerea and developed methods for gene knockouts. For ~20 years the emphasis of our research was on secreted fungal proteins that either kill plant cells (effectors), or degrade plant cell wall polysaccharides, hydrolyse proteins or detoxify plant defense compounds. In the past decade, the focus shifted to functional genomics strategies to unravel the molecular interactions between necrotrophic fungi and their hosts. Genomes of ~20 Sclerotiniaceae were sequenced and transcriptome analyses carried out of Botrytis-infected plants (tomato, onion, lily) as well as different stages of development and sexual reproduction in Botrytis cinerea. Besides working on the pathogen side of plant-fungus interactions, my group also studies molecular mechanisms conferring susceptibility to necrotrophs in a range of crops (tomato, onion, lily, chrysanthemum) to generate knowledge and tools that can be useful in resistance breeding.

Wu Jian

Yangzhou University, China

Dr. Jian Wu: Professor of Plant Sciences and Director of the Department of
Biotechnology at the College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University,
China. Dr. Wu earned his Ph.D. in Crop Genetics and Breeding from Huazhong
Agricultural University, China, in 2005. Dr. Wu received funding from Distinguished
Young Scholars program of the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province in
2024. His research primarily focuses on the genetic and molecular basis of the
resistance to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in oilseed rape (Brassica napus).