Keynote Speakers
Dr Jan Kreuze
International Potato Center
Dr Jan Kreuze received his MSc in plant breeding from Wageningen Agricultural University (1997) and his PhD in Virology from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (2002), studying sweetpotato virus interactions. In 2003 he joined the International Potato Center (CIP) in Peru, where he has since researched host-pathogen interactions, transgenic resistance, viral diagnostics and metagenomics, and more recently regenerative approaches to potato production. He currently heads CIP's Regenerative Agriculture department and is an adjunct professor at the University of Helsinki. He has published over 125 papers in peer-reviewed international journals and numerous book chapters.
Prof. Dr. Mehmet Emin Çalışkan
Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University
Mehmet Emin Çalışkan is a senior professor in the Department of Agricultural Genetic Engineering at Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, Turkey. Potatoes have been his main focus since his postgraduate studies, spanning crop management, physiology, genetics, breeding, and seed production. His recent work targets drought and heat stress tolerance and stress-tolerant cultivar development. He has led FAO projects on seed potato systems in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, published over 50 articles, and edited the book Potato Production Worldwide. A member of EAPR since 1997, he chaired its Agronomy and Physiology Section (2008–2014) and serves on the editorial board of Potato Research.
Dr Helen Tai
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)
Dr. Helen Tai is a Potato Genetics and Genomics Research Scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada and an adjunct professor at University of New Brunswick, Laval University and Queen’s University in Canada. Dr. Tai’s research is focused on understanding genetic variation underlying traits in potato and Solanum wild relatives using transcriptomics, genomics and metabolomics approaches. She applies this information to developing genome-based methods for selecting improved potato varieties in breeding. Potato traits that Dr. Tai works on include glycoalkaloids, pest and pathogen resistance, sexual reproduction, nitrogen use efficiency, and tuber quality.
Prof. Corné Pieterse
Utrecht University
Corné Pieterse is Distinguished Professor and Chair of Plant-Microbe Interactions at Utrecht University. He began his scientific career investigating the molecular basis of pathogenicity of Phytophthora infestans, the potato late blight pathogen. His research explores how beneficial root microbes stimulate plant growth and immunity, and how plants recruit these microbial partners. This work provides a foundation for harnessing microbiomes to improve crop resilience, including in potato, and reduce dependence on pesticides. A Highly Cited Researcher since 2014, he received the Dutch Spinoza Prize in 2022 and is a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and EMBO.
Prof. Dr. Hanu Pappu
Washington State University
Professor Dr. Hanu Pappu is the President Sam Smith Distinguished Professor and the Chuey Endowed Chair of Plant Pathology at Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA. Prof. Pappu’s research interests and expertise include characterization and control of viral diseases. Specific areas of interest are genomics, proteomics, virus diagnostics, and host-virus interactions. His current research focus is on thrips-transmitted tospoviruses in vegetables and legumes, whitefly-transmitted geminiviruses, and aphid-transmitted potyviruses. He has published >220 refereed journal articles. Prof. Pappu teaches a graduate course in plant virology, and co-teaches an undergraduate course, General Plant Pathology.
Vanessa Prigge
Solana Group
Vanessa Prigge is a potato breeder and R&D project manager at Solana Group. Her work focuses on addressing challenges in potato breeding through applied breeding research and international collaborations. She chairs the EUCARPIA Potato Section and co-organizes scientific conferences for the potato breeding community. Vanessa holds a PhD in Plant Breeding and Applied Genetics from the University of Hohenheim, and her award-winning research at CIMMYT, Mexico, helped establish DH technology as a key tool in tropical maize breeding. She is particularly interested in breeding strategies that integrate diploid innovation, predictive breeding, and applied research to increase genetic gain in potato.
Dr David Cooke
James Hutton Institute
Dr David Cooke is a senior plant pathologist at the James Hutton Institute in Dundee, UK and has almost 30 years’ experience in studying potato late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans. He works with industry and research partners at national and international scales to co-ordinate the GB Fight Against Blight and EuroBlight genetic fingerprinting of the rapidly evolving pathogen population. He collaborates with many stakeholders from breeders, agronomists and crop protection chemical manufacturers to use the knowledge on the pathogen population to improve the effectiveness of late blight management and the sustainability of potato production.