Agrilinks

Currently serves as Leader of the Cassava Program in the Agrobiodiversity research area at the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and Flagship Leader of the CGIAR Research Program for Roots Tubers and Bananas (CRP-RTB), based in Cali, Colombia; provides strategic leadership to CIAT’s Cassava Program’s research and outreach projects across different aspects of cassava science, knowledge transfer and capacity building both in South East Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean. As CGIAR-RTB Flagship Leader provides tactical thinking to implement the flagship’s strategy; based on varietal improvement research using next-generation tools and methods that can broadly be applied across all target traits and RTB crops. Previous scientific leadership roles include 9 years of experience at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) on cotton crop improvement.

Nearly 20 years’ experience leading and conducting agriculture R4D research in developing countries across the tropics is testimony of experience, qualifications and commitment to develop and deploy state-of-the-art solution for resource limited farmers.

Over 70 research articles, book chapters, conference papers and datasets published. As a young scientists, in 1995, won the “Third World Academy of Science” (TWAS) award for determining the occurrence and cytological mechanism of 2n pollen formation in a tetraploid accession of Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato), and in 2002 received a CSIRO recognition award for scientific achievement. In 2015 won CIAT’s Outstanding Research Publication Award.

Holds a PhD in plant molecular genetics from the University of Sydney, a MSc. in cytogenetics and a BSc. in biology from the “Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University”.