Pavan Silva — Currently a Ph.D. Student studying the population biology and management of Cytospora canker in peach trees.
Pavan also completed his Master’s degree with Dr. Stewart. Major Advisor 2024 – 2026, Agricultural Biology, CSU, M.S.
Pavan earned his bachelor’s degree in Microbiology, with minors in Zoology and Chemistry, from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka. His passion for plant pathology and mycology developed during his undergraduate studies, where his research project focused on identifying fungi associated with mango anthracnose and leaf spot diseases in Sri Lanka — a country where mangoes are a vital source of nutrition. In the Stewart Lab, he studied the population biology and management of Cytospora canker in peach trees, caused by Cytospora plurivora, a disease that significantly impacts Colorado’s peach production. Pavan is originally from Colombo, Sri Lanka, and enjoys watching documentaries, reading, and traveling in his free time.