Dr. Miao (Mindy) Liu
- Fungal systematics (Taxonomy and nomenclature, molecular phylogenetics)
- Fungal population biology (Population evolution and speciation)
- Molecular detection of plant pathogens
- Gene evolution and comparative genomics
Current research and/or projects
- Fungal and Bacterial Biosystematics - bridging taxonomy and “omics” technology in agricultural research and regulation; J-002272; Project lead(s): Sarah Hambleton, Keith Seifert; Budgets: $2,495,000 ($157,500 for ML); Duration 2019/04/01 – 2024/03/31; Proposal stream: STB Annual Call for RDT Proposal
Research and/or project statements
Identify species and understand genetic variability of plant related fungal pathogens to facilitate the crop breeding program for developing disease resistant cultivars that will increase agriculture productivity; Understand the population genetic structure of plant pathogens to provide information for deploying environment-friendly disease control strategies and enhancing environmental performance; increase knowledge on systematics, genomics, diagnostics, chemotyping and distribution of toxin genic fungi (i.e. Claviceps spp.) in grains to build foundation for food quality control through bio-surveillance, domestic legislation/regulations, and risk evaluation.
Professional activities / interests
- Senior editor of Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology (2019–present).
- Section editor of Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology (2016–2019).
- Member of expert panel in the 4th National Invasive Species Forum, hosted by Canadian Council on Invasive species, Ottawa, 12 –13 February 2019
- Peer reviewer of manuscripts for Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology, Carnets de bryolgie, Genome Biology and Evolution, Mycologia, Plant Disease etc.
Education and awards
- Ph.D., Plant Pathology, Cornell University, 2005
- M.S., Beijing Forestry University, 1990
International experience and/or work
Collaborate with scientists from Czech Republic (Dr. Miroslav Kolarik), Japan (Dr. Eiji Tanaka), UK (Dr. Anna Grodon), USA (Dr. Kirk Broders) on ergot (Claviceps) studies; and Germany (Dr. Uwe Braun), Japan (Dr. Susumu Takamatsu) on powddery mildew studies.
Contact
Research facility
Expertise
Affiliations
- Regional Representative and member of Canadian Phytopathological Society (since 2016)
- Member of Mycological Society of America (since 2016)
- Member of International Mycological Congress (since 2018)
- Member of Asian Mycological Congress (since 2019)