Dr. Jessa P. Ata — Major Advisor 2017 – 2022, Agricultural Biology, CSU, Ph.D.

Currently Associate Professor, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Philippines

Jessa’s dissertation, “Lophodermella Needle Cast Pathosystem: The Phylogenetic Relationships, Host-Mycobiota Interactions, and Molecular Diagnosis of Lophodermella Pathogens on Pinus,” examined needle cast epidemics on Pinus contorta in Colorado. Her research resolved the phylogeny of Lophodermella species — identifying a genetically unique species on P. flexilis — characterized the pathogens’ endophytic lifestyle within host needle mycobiota, and developed PCR-based molecular diagnostics for rapid field detection.