BSPP Plant Health Club: ‘Living Science’ personal careers and experiences in Plant Pathology – 3

‘Living Science’ – James Townsend (Hawkins & Assoc.) and Phil Taylor (CABI) will discuss personal careers and experiences in plant pathology 

BSPP Chair: Gail Preston, BSPP Vice President, University of Oxford.

BSPP Co-chair: Morgan Wodring, FERA

James Townsend: I started my career fairly conventionally studying host-pathogen interactions at research institutes NIAB-EMR, Rothamsted Research & Warwick Crop Centre.  I then moved over to more applied research at Stockbridge Technology Centre where I got into diagnostics and ended up managing the Plant Clinic. I then set up and ran a diagnostic lab in industry for Berry Gardens Fruit Growers.  I was head hunted by Hawkins & Associates, because of my diagnostic skills and breadth of experience, to investigate plant pathology related insurance claims that include, but are not limited to: crop losses caused by diseases or disorders; contamination of bulk grains, pulses, fruits & vegetables; rots and moulds of fresh produce; self-heating of stored produce; germination failure; pesticide damage to plants or produce; fallen trees; household mould contamination.

Philip Taylor gained a first class honours degree in Plant Sciences from Wye College; University of London in 1982. He then pursued an academic career path with a PhD at John Innes Institute on the Downy mildew of pea and these studies led on to two post-docs one in Illinois and one in Durham UK. Subsequently he became a lecturer in molecular plant pathology at the university of Hull UK. He then gave up the academic life to become a farmer, successfully running a large commercial farm taking it into organic, and GM production. His interest remained in science and during this time he took an MSc in Science communication at Imperial college and represented the National farmers union on biotechnical matters as part of their working party. Years later another change of tack took him to CABI as part of the international development group and as a result of this was elected to the board of the BSPP.  With CABI he became the training manager for Plantwise; a large donor funded programme designed to bolster extension services in developing countries. He has travelled extensively in this role.

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Read more about the BSPP Plant Health Club here.

To register, get a ticket using the link below – registration will close on 27th November: You will receive a confirmation that your registration has been received, and the zoom link for the meeting will be emailed to you a day or two before the event.