The Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology's weekly Plant Pathology 250 seminar series is presented this week by Michelle Heck from Cornell University 

Seminar Title: "Coupling evolutionary and molecular biology to probe the vector-pathogen interface" 

Biography: Dr. Michelle Heck completed her PhD degree in 2005 at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Dr. David Jackson's laboratory, where she developed a genetic screen to identify plant genes involved in phloem transport and systemic movement of plant viruses. Dr. Heck did her postdoctoral research with Dr. Stewart Gray at Cornell and developed proteomic methods to study aphid-virus interactions. Dr. Heck is a Research Molecular Biologist and Lead Scientist with the USDA ARS Emerging Pests and Pathogens Research Unit and an Adjunct Associate Professor of Plant Pathology and Plant Microbe Biology at Cornell University. She runs an active vector biology research group focused on deciphering the molecular mechanisms regulating insect transmission of plant pathogens. Her long-term goal is to leverage that knowledge to develop novel disease control strategies. Dr. Heck's seminar will focus on current research involving aphid-transmitted poleroviruses and citrus greening disease. 

Seminar Host: Dr. Patricia Manosalva; patricia.manosalva@ucr.edu