Research focus: (i) Dynamics of distribution, prevalence, and co-diversification driving emergent hemipteran-transmitted plants pathogens in cultivated and natural scapes, including the phytobiome (ii) Functional genomic-identification of arthropod vector-pathogen effectors / determinants that confer vector specificity; cross-kingdom interactions

•Emerging plant DNA virus-vector complexes - biology, -omics discovery, phylodynamics & the agricultural-wild host plants interface
•Phylogeography, gene flow, and evolution of the Bemisia tabaci cryptic species group
•Biology and functional genomics of begomovirus-whitefly transmission specificity
•Determinants/effectors of psyllid vector-Ca. Liberibacter invasion and propagative transmission; dsRNA biopesticides
•Vampirovibrio chlorellavorus-Chlorella spp. pathogenicity determinants and virus-like elements 
•Plant viral partners in the phyomicrobiome & beneficial viruses
•High-throughput sequencing for 'discovery' and molecular diagnostic tool development with applications to lab and field