Plant Breeding and Genetics Members
Current Group Members
 |
 |
 |
Nora Lapitan Group Leader |
Walid El Feki PhD Student |
Leon Van Eck PhD Student |
 |
 |
 |
John Reese, Professor of Entomology, Kansas State University, and Adjunct Professor, CSU |
Tori Valdez MS Student |
Hong Wang Research Associate |
 |
 |
|
Ayishetu Yacuba Work Study |
Jessica Oates
Work Study |
Walid is from Egypt, with a Master's degree from Alexandria University. His research focus is on evaluating quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping populations of wheat for field performance under drought stress. He recently attended the Summer Institute in Statistical Genetics at the University of Washington in order to gain expertise in QTL mapping. Upon completion of his PhD, Walid plans to return to Egypt to serve in the Crop Science Department at Alexandria University.
Walid counts basketball and volleyball among his many hobbies. He is also happily married, with two lovely daughters, Haydi and Kenzy.
Hailing from sunny South Africa, Leon is pursuing a PhD on a Fulbright Scholarship. He obtained a Master's degree in Genetics from the University of Pretoria in 2007. His current research focuses on the functional characterization of specific candidate genes involved in wheat resistance against Diuraphis noxia. He hopes to use virus-induced gene silencing to identify interesting genes that could eventually be used to breed wheat cultivars more resilient against aphid attack.
When not in the lab or busy with data analysis, Leon can be found blogging about science and nature, tending his orchids, or soaking up the local music scene.
Notable Research Output
Talks
- Van Eck L, Lapitan NLV, Botha A-M (2008) Transcriptional regulation in wheat results in distinct modes of resistance to Diuraphis noxia. 18th Biennial International Plant Resistance to Insects (IPRI) Workshop: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA, 10-13 February 2008.
Posters
- Van Eck L, Lapitan NLV, Botha-Oberholster A-M (2006) Expression profiling of near-isogenic lines of hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum) upon infestation with the Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia) using cDNA-AFLP and quantitative PCR analysis. South African Genetics Society 19th Congress: Bloemfontein, RSA, 2-4 April 2006. Programme and Abstracts, p. 43-44.
- Van Eck L, Myburg AA, Lapitan NLV, Botha-Oberholster A-M (2006) Profiling Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia) induced transcripts in near-isogenic wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) lines using cDNA-AFLP and quantitative PCR analysis. 17th Biennial International Plant Resistance to Insects (IPRI) Workshop: Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA, 9-12 April 2006.
- Van Eck L, Myburg AA, Lapitan NLV, Botha A-M (2005) Expression profiling of near-isogenic lines of hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum) upon infestation with the Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia Mordvilko) using cDNA-AFLP analysis. Society for Experimental Biology Annual Main Meeting: Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, 11-15 July 2005. Abstracts/Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A 141 S266.
Tori is a Denver native with an undergraduate degree from Colorado State University, Pueblo. Tori is delving into many areas of research while pursuing a Master's Degree, including genetic mapping of wheat populations and investigating Russian wheat aphid resistance via gene silencing.
Aside from her professional interests in plant-insect interactions and the genomic evolution of crops, Tori is also a dog lover with a keen sense for vintage fashion.
Originally from Ghana, West Africa, Ayesha is majoring in Biological Science. She works in the Crop Genomics Laboratory, assisting with the creation of a large mapping population for resistance against Diuraphis noxia in wheat. Ayesha loves helping people live better lives, and is working towards a career in health care.
Outside of school work, Ayesha likes to go hiking in the mountains with friends. She also spends her free time being creative: writing, drawing and painting.
Jessica is a 5th year undergraduate with a double major in Biology and Spanish and a minor in Biomedical Science. She joined the Crop Genomics team to better familiarize herself with the lab environment and is excited to learn new research skills. Her responsibilities in the lab include assisting with the cloning of wheat resistance genes, database management, and general greenhouse duties.
She is interested in attending medical school and also works with a physician in the emergency room of McKee Medical Center.
