Dr. Shahid Siddique
Associate Professor & PI, Entomology and Nematology
I am an Assistant Professor at the Department of Entomology and Nematology, UC Davis. My research focuses on enhancing the basic understanding of interactions between plants and nematodes. I am also interested in applied research to develop new tools and resources for management of plant parasitic nematodes. I love everything about nematodes!
Originally, I am from Pakistan, but spent a major part of my life in Europe. Outside of lab, I enjoy long drives, hiking, gardening, and meeting friends
Email: ssiddique@ucdavis.edu
Dr. Valerie Williamson
Professor Emeritus, Plant Pathology
I have worked with root-knot nematodes and other plant parasitic nematodes for over 30 years. My interests have included host resistance, molecular identification, genetics and genomics, and nematode behavior. I collaborate with the Siddique lab on several projects. When I am not in the lab, I like to spend time in nature especially on the beautiful California coast.
Email: vmwilliamson@ucdavis.edu
Tanya Chilcote
Lab Manager
I am responsible for general lab management and organization.
Email: chilcote@ucdavis.edu
Xuyun Yang
Lab Assistant
I have been working in nematology labs at UC Davis for 16 years. She loves to garden, knit, and cook beautiful meals for her grandchildren!
Email: xuyang@ucdavis.edu
Yali Zhang
Lab Assistant
I am a laboratory assistant fellow in the Department of Entomology and Nematology at the University of California, Davis,where I am engaged in research on plant parasitic nematodes including Meloidogyne javanica and Pratylenchus vulnus.
Originally from China, I earned my Master degrees from Hubei University. During the 7 years from undergraduate to graduate, I have been engaged in the research of plant protection and genomics, including the management of some plant pests and pathogens.For the research of plant protection,my research focuses on using plastid-mediated RNA interference (PM-RNAi) to control root-knot nematodes .For the research of genomics,my research concentrates on Aphelenchus avenae and Pseudomonas spp genome assembly, annotation and related functional analysis. I have a deep passion for the scientific research.
Email: sunzhang@ucdavis.edu
Postdocs
Bardo Castro
Postdoc, Entomology and Nematology
I am a Postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Entomology and Nematology, UC Davis. I am interested in plant-nematode interactions, and how we can apply this knowledge to enhance plant resistance. My project focuses on investigating plant genes important for nematode parasitic interactions. Our goal is to understand which plant pathways are utilize by nematodes during parasitism. Through identification of these susceptibility genes, we hope to utilize CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing tools to generate plants with enhanced resistance towards parasitic nematodes. I was born in Mexico but grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. Outside of the lab I enjoy spending time with my family, video games, movies, and watching basketball (Go Warriors!).
Email: barcastro@ucdavis.edu
Dadong Dai
Postdoc, Entomology and Nematology
I am a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Entomology and Nematology at the University of California, Davis, where I investigate the biology of parasitic nematodes through a combination of molecular biology and bioinformatics. My research primarily focuses on nematode genomics, specifically examining the relationship between polyploidization and host spectrum expansion, as well as the role of DNA methylation in nematode life cycles. Currently, my work is focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms through which root-knot nematodes (RKNs) breach the defenses of resistant tomato plants, with the aim of understanding patterns in the adaptive evolution of RKNs.
Email: dddai@ucdavis.edu
Graduate Students
Alison Blundell
Graduate Student, Plant Pathology
I am a fourth year graduate student in the Plant Pathology Department here at UC Davis. My current projects are focusing on plant parasitic nematodes, specifically root-knot nematodes, and their molecular mechanisms to defend against plant immune systems. I am also working to gain more understanding in the defense mechanism in plants towards plant parasitic nematodes.
Originally I am from St. Louis, Missouri region, but received my degrees from Concordia University, Nebraska. My undergraduate degrees were in B.S. Biology and B.A. in Chemistry. I enjoy time outdoors, animals of all varieties, and serving my community.
Email: alcoomer@ucdavis.edu
Pallavi Shakya
Graduate Student, Plant Pathology
I am a third year PhD student in Siddique Lab. I am interested in exploring plant parasitic nematodes from a combination of plant pathology and bioinformatics viewpoints. I did my Master’s in Plant Biotechnology from Wageningen University in the Netherlands where I was introduced to transcriptomics of potato cyst nematodes. Working with these nematodes showed me the importance of understanding plants along with the parasites they have co-evolved with. In Siddique lab, I plan to learn about the genomics and transcriptomics aspects of plant-nematode interaction.
I am originally from Nepal and I love momos! When I am not in the lab, I can be seen running, reading, cooking and brewing kombucha.
Email: pshakya@ucdavis.edu
Ching-Jung Lin
Graduate Student, Plant Pathology
I am a PhD student in Plant Pathology with a designated emphasis in Biotechnology, and I am fascinated by plant-microbe interaction! Currently I am interested in the development of functional genetic tools in plant-parasitic nematodes and the characterization of nematode-induced plant immunity. I am originally from Taiwan. My previous scientific journey in accumulating my passion for my research includes B.S. in Agronomy (National Chung-Hsing University), M.S. in Plant Biology (National Taiwan University), and technician training in Plant and Microbial Biology (Academia Sinica).
Outside of the lab I enjoy reading, jogging, playing badminton, and going to the gym. I am a coffee and dog person.
Email: chjlin@ucdavis.edu
Veronica Casey
Graduate Student, Entomology
I am a third year graduate student in the Department of Entomology and Nematology. My research explores the interactions between plant-parasitic nematodes and microbes in the soil. I am working on sustainable nematode management through biological control and I am investigating the disease complex between root-knot nematodes and bacterial wilt disease. I grew up in the Chicago suburbs and I have a B.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. My hobbies include boxing, reading novels, and playing video games.
Email: vicasey@ucdavis.edu
Romnick Latina
Graduate Student, Plant Pathology
I am a second year PhD student at the Siddique Lab. I am interested in studying molecular plant-nematode interactions. Prior to embarking on my PhD journey, I served as an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Weed Science, Entomology and Plant Pathology at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. There, I also obtained my Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, specializing in Plant Pathology, and later secured a Master of Science in Nematology with distinction at Ghent University in Belgium, thanks to the VLIR-UOS Scholarship grant.
I’m currently gearing up to pursue a PhD in Plant Pathology at the University of California Davis, with a focus on molecular plant-nematode interactions. Beyond academia, those close to me, referring to me as Nick or Kulas, know my penchant for music, anime, mobile gaming like Genshin Impact, cooking, and travel.
Email: rlatina@ucdavis.edu
Undergraduates
Aarish Ali
Undergraduate Researcher, Biotechnology
I am a second-year undergraduate student majoring in Biotechnology at UC Davis. I’m interning under Ching-Jung and Alison through the Research Scholars Program to learn more about the way that nematodes interact with their hosts and are able to infect them. I’d like to research more about the genetics of nematodes and their infection mechanisms. I am originally from the Bay Area and I enjoy watching movies, playing video games, and trying new desserts.
Email: aavali@ucdavis.edu
Lisa Nakano
Undergraduate Researcher, Environmental Toxicology
I am a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Environmental Toxicology. I am interested in exploring different organism interactions through underlying biological or toxicological mechanisms that drive these interactions. I currently work under Veronica whose research focuses on pest management in agriculture, specifically looking at plant parasitic nematodes and their impact on plants. I am excited to continue learning in the lab and hope to dive deeper into what research entails. I am originally from the Central Valley, Fresno, and outside academics, I enjoy playing video games, watching horror movies, and learning about frogs.
Email: lcnakano@ucdavis.edu
Past Members
Dr. Henok Zemene Yimer
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Ado Sales
Undergraduate (Research Scholars Program)
Shelly Szumski
Lab Manager
Deeksha Shakya
Undergraduate Researcher (Global Disease Biology)
Emma Shigekane Kraft
Undergraduate Researcher (Global Disease Biology)
Chia-Jui (Joyce) Lin
Undergraduate Researcher (Biological Sciences)
Jordan Wilson
Undergraduate Researcher
Marine and Coastal Science
Cherry Liu
Undergraduate Researcher
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Matthew Kramer, Undergraduate Researcher
Junette Sarah Balmoja, Undergraduate Researcher
Manvir Sambhi, Undergraduate Researcher
Clarissa HilTl, Visiting PhD scholar
Kyle Lee, Undergraduate Researcher
Moanam Khalid, Undergraduate Researcher