Amer Fayad

Associate Program Director and Africa Program Manager, IPM Innovation Lab

Virginia Tech

Education: Ph.D., Plant Pathology, Physiology and Weed Science, Virginia Tech; M.S., Crop Protection, American University of Beirut; B.S., Agriculture and Diploma of Ingenieur Agricole, American University of Beirut.

Languages: English, French, and Arabic (Native Tongue)

Dr. Fayad is a plant pathologist specialized in plant viruses. His research experience has focused on the identification, epidemiology, biological and molecular diversity of viruses, virus movement, and interactions between viruses and plant virus resistance genes.

Dr. Fayad worked on IPM programs for control of cucurbit viruses in Lebanon and reported the presence of two new plant viruses in the country (Cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus, CYSDV and Cucurbit aphid-borne yellows virus, CABYV) in cucurbits. At Virginia Tech’s Plant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Science department, he studied the resistance mechanisms of three genes for resistance to Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) in soybeans and conducted research on the biological and sequence diversity of resistance-breaking isolates of SMV in soybeans in the field.

Prior to joining CIRED, Dr. Fayad worked at the University of Florida’s Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) as a Post Doctoral Researcher where he conducted molecular analyses of Citrus tisteza virus (CTV) strains and isolates differentially transmitted by the brown citrus aphid Toxoptera citricida. He also served as an Assistant Professor of Biology at Notre Dame University Louaize, Lebanon.

Dr. Fayad is the Associate Director and Africa Program Manager of the IPM Innovation Lab and in this capacity he is involved in the following: leading project design and implementation; providing research guidance to project partners; preparing annual reports and workplans; coordinating IPM Il activities relevant to plant pathogens such as, bacteria, fungi, nematodes, viruses, and others; coordinating identification and development of management strategies including biological control of pathogens; reviewing Pesticide Evaluation Reports and Safer Use Action Plans (PERSUAPS); writing, reviewing, and editing IPM Innovation Lab publications; maintaining the IPM Innovation Lab databases of publications, graduate students, alumni, and short term trainees; developing project proposals and concept notes for associate awards; presenting research results in stakeholder meetings and professional scientific conferences; and organizing regional and international workshops and symposia.

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Phone: (540) 231-9668 | Email: afayad@vt.edu