Dr. Edel Pérez-López is an Associate Professor of Phytopathology at Université Laval. He completed his BSc in Biochemistry at Havana University, Cuba, and then earned a PhD from Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico. Following this, he undertook a postdoctoral fellowship at Auburn University, USA, and another at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. Since joining Université Laval, the EdeLab, led by Dr. Pérez-López, has been investigating various plant pathogens and insect vectors. The lab has a special focus on effector biology as a means to develop long-lasting resistance in crops. It also studies how climate change affects the distribution and incidence of emergent plant diseases and insect vectors.
Email: edel.perez-lopez.1@ulaval.ca
Since 2018, I’ve been immersed in the field of agronomy, embarking on a bachelor’s degree journey at Université Laval. Subsequently, I pursued a master’s degree under the guidance of Dr. Edel Pérez-Lopez at the same institution, focusing on Plant Pathology as my primary research interest. Throughout these years, I’ve eagerly seized opportunities to expand my skill set, both within the laboratory (conducting PCR, qPCR, microbiology techniques, phenotypic tests, etc.) and beyond (engaging in teaching assistance, scientific communication, and writing). Within the Edelab, my responsibilities encompass administration, instrumentation, and experimentation, positioning me as a valuable resource for fellow students.
After my bachelor in 2021, I joined Edelab for a master’s degree under the co-supervision of Dre Valérie Fourier, a specialist in entomology. My research project was the first steps on leafhoppers in the lab and focused on the diversity of leafhoppers in strawberries and their role as vectors of bacterial diseases like phytoplasmas. My project resulted in the publication of four scientific papers, including three as the first author. The acquired knowledge also allowed me to become a specialist taxonomist on leafhoppers in Quebec. In 2024, I made my comeback at Edelab as a research professional to continue research and progress on leafhoppers in strawberries. My main research interest is the identification of leafhoppers, specifically to the species and genus levels, using dissections. I also have interests in insect vectors and general strawberries phytoprotection.
Email: nicolas.plante.4@ulaval.ca
I got my PhD in Biological Chemistry from the Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), where I investigated the role of potato’s calcium-dependent kinases in response to Phytophthora infestans infection. I conducted molecular biology techniques during my studies, including genetic engineering, recombinant protein expression, and enzymatic assays. Additionally, I worked as a teaching assistant in the Phytopathology subject at the Faculty of Agronomy, UBA. I moved to Canada and worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR). In Professor Isabel Desgagne-Penix’s lab, I engineered micro-algae to produce cannabinoids, optimizing metabolic pathways and conducting bioprocesses. In my new role as a research assistant, I look forward to contributing my knowledge and skills to Prof. Edel’s lab. I enjoy cycling, hiking, brewing beer, and travelling in my spare time. And I have a beautiful cat.
At EdeLab, my interest is to understand the dynamics of leafhopper species populations and their interactions with abiotic and biotic stresses. My research focuses on identifying the migratory species of leafhoppers and their role in the pathosystem strawberry-leafhopper-strawberry green petal phytoplasmas.
I am a researcher with a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of São Paulo, Brazil, where I studied microbial communities in saline-alkaline lakes using metagenomics. I later completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the same university, focusing on drought-tolerant plants and their associated rhizosphere microbiomes through the reconstruction of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs). My research integrates microbial ecology, bioinformatics, and metagenomics to extract biologically meaningful insights from complex datasets using computational biology and big data approaches. I work across diverse ecosystems—including aquatic environments, soils, plants, and more recently, insects—to investigate the structure and function of microbial communities. I also develop computational pipelines and tools to analyze large-scale sequencing data, aiming to better understand microbiome diversity and function in natural and agricultural systems, while supporting other scientists in their research.
I am a PhD candidate with a strong interest in plants, particularly in the fields of phytopathology and plant breeding. I completed my undergraduate degree in Agricultural Engineering in Argentina, followed by a master’s degree in plant Breeding in the Netherlands. At EdeLab, I will be working on the clubroot pathogen Plasmodiophora brassicae, focusing on better understanding the role of kinases in the progression of the disease.
I am from Cuba. Ever since I was a child, I have really loved learning about living organisms and their interactions. I decided to study Microbiology when I was in college. I started my bachelor’s in microbiology and immediately established my interest in molecular interactions. During my bachelor’s degree I joined the laboratory of Immunoanalytical, and Antimicrobial Peptides at the Center of Protein Studies at the Faculty of Biology, Havana University. At this lab, I learned about microbial resistance, especially in fungal opportunistic diseases such as candidiasis. After graduated, I work as a research candidate at Havana University (from September 2016 to July 2021) doing research but also teaching Biochemistry. I have had the opportunity to collaborated with the Mycology Laboratory of the Pedro Kouri Institute, Cuba, Ulm University, Germany, and National Autonomous University of Mexico. In June 2019 I finished my Master’s in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Havana University. In 2020, I was looking for a Doctoral project, and I found the recently opened laboratory of Dr. Edel Perez Lopez at the Department of Phytology, FSAA, Université Laval. I was very interested in his project focused on understanding the immune responses of susceptible and resistant plant hosts to Plasmodiophora brassicae, (clubroot pathogen), so I applied to join Dr. Edel Perez Lopez group at Université Laval, which is where I am now doing my Ph. D. research.
I completed my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in plant Pathology at the University of the Punjab, Pakistan. During my Master’s project, I worked on metagenomics studies of wheat associated microbiome. In 2019, I went to China for plant pathology-related training. Subsequently, I was selected for a bilateral project at Ankara University, Turkey under the Mevlana Exchange Program. I also worked for one year at the Fungal Culture Bank of Pakistan at the University of the Punjab, where I handled, catalogued, and identified microbes from various agricultural and environmental samples. I started my PhD in winter 2022, focusing on the genomics of the clubroot pathogen and its genetic diversity. I am particularly interested in pathogen genetics and genomics, population genomics, and pangenome analysis to understand pathogen evolution.
Email: muhammad.javed.1@ulaval.ca
My name is Jiaxu Wu, and now I am a PhD candidate in the plant biology program at Université Laval since 2022. Overall, my research interest is in understanding how plants adapt to abiotic and biotic stresses. Currently, my research focuses on understanding the clubroot resistance in canola through a multidisciplinary approach that encompasses genetics, biochemistry, and bioinformatics. The primary objective of my project is to assist the Canadian canola industry in effectively managing clubroot disease while maintaining sustainability. Before joining Edelab, I finished my M.Sc. from the Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada. At Memorial University, I investigated the mechanisms of plasma membrane lipidome remodelling in maize cold tolerance.
Email: jiaxu.wu.1@ulaval.ca
After completing my BSc in Plant and Soil Science from Texas Tech University, I opened a market farm in my hometown of Lubbock, Texas. My primary focus was partnering with community-focused organizations, such as local food pantries and continuing education centers, to provide access to healthy food. With a combined seven years of farming and consulting experience in various climatic regions across North and South America, I developed my agricultural expertise significantly. These experiences together have fueled my passion for studying plant biology and exploring questions centered around sustainable agriculture principles. In 2021, I began my MSc at McGill University, where I studied the potential of using LED lighting in controlled environments to manage grey mold, with an emphasis on targeting the pathogen’s photomorphogenic responses to inhibit the proliferation of spores. This research sparked my interest in developing sustainable methods for controlling economically important crop pests by leveraging applied technologies. My current project involves investigating the microbiome of leafhoppers using metagenomic approaches to identify potential microbial biological control agents.
Email: joshua.molligan.1@ulaval.ca
Being passionate about plant biology and more specifically, plant health, I completed a master’s degree in Plant and Environmental Protection at l’Institut Agro Montpellier in France. Over the past few years, I have broadened my professional experience in various parts of the world, alternating between the tropical climate of Réunion Island and the winter climate of Norway. These diverse experiences have allowed me to develop a wide range of skills and knowledge across multiple areas of agronomy.
My goal is to promote more environmentally friendly agriculture through both research and teaching. Pursuing a PhD is the next step in this journey. My current project focuses on investigating the ecology of leafhoppers in Canadian fields, with the aim of optimizing control strategies and identifying new, sustainable solutions for pest management.
Email: thomas.vinatier.1@ulaval.ca
I completed my bachelor’s degree in biology from Université Laval in 2022. During my undergraduate studies, I worked as an entomology intern and then as an entomology student at the Laboratoire d’expertise et de diagnostic en phytoprotection of the MAPAQ. There, I significantly developed my interest in insect pest control and my motivation to continue my graduate studies in entomology. Under the direction of Edel Pérez-López and the co-direction of Valérie Fournier, I am currently completing a master’s degree in plant biology, focusing on the abundance and diversity of leafhoppers and their Dryinidae parasitoids in strawberry fields of Quebec. My project also aims to evaluate the effects of climate and landscape composition on these factors. My research interests include taxonomy, ecology, biodiversity and biological control in the context of climate change.
Email: jordanne.jacques.1@ulaval.ca
I recently completed my bachelor’s degree in biology at the University of Montreal (class of 2024-2025), with a specialization in biodiversity, ecology and evolution. My interest in entomology led me to pursue an Honor’s program with the professor Dr Colin Favret. Under the supervision of PhD student Malek Kalboussi, I contributed to the creation of a genomic database by DNA barcoding for the identification of the gnd gene in several aphid species (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea) found in lettuce fields with integrated flower strips. My last summers were spent as a Research & Development field technician for the cooperative Polliflora, and before that as a research assistant at the Research and Development Institute for Agroenvironment (IRDA): biological control technologies in agriculture, urban beekeeping, and sustainable city planning are subjects I hold close to heart. At EdelLab, I am now completing my master’s in plant biology with co-directors Valérie Fournier and Edel Pérez-Lopez under the project LeafHope. This pan-Canadian research program aims to understand the relationships between leafhopper abundance and diversity found in strawberry, blueberry, and canola fields, levels of parasitism by Dryinidae wasps, climate, and land use
Email: alexandra.landry.8@ulaval.ca
To come…