Edel Perez Lopez

Edel Pérez-Lopez is a Professor of Plant Pathology at Université Laval and holds the Canada Research Chair in Insect Vectors, Invasions, and Emerging Plant Diseases. Originally from Cuba, he studied Biochemistry at the University of Havana and earned his PhD in Ecology and Biotechnology at Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico. His interest in the relationships among plants, pathogens, and insects has led him to study clubroot, caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae, and phytoplasma-associated diseases such as maize bushy stunt. He currently leads a team of more than 20 students, postdoctoral researchers, and research professionals who combine genomics, molecular biology, and ecology to understand these diseases and develop sustainable plant protection strategies. He has published more than 100 scientific articles and worked across several countries to develop sustainable strategies for managing plant diseases. His contributions have been recognized with the Hewitt Award from the American Phytopathological Society, the Outstanding Young Scientist Award from the Canadian Phytopathological Society, and the Thermo Fisher Scientific Award from the Canadian Society of Microbiologists. In 2025, he received the Government of Québec’s Hubert-Reeves Prize, which recognizes scientific excellence among early-career researchers.