Fulbright Foreign Student Program

Grant

PHD in Plant Pathology

Host Institution

North Carolina State University

Mr. Cris Q. Cortaga is a University Researcher II at the Plant Pathology Laboratory of the Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB), University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). He earned his Master of Science in Molecular Biology from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven) and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in Belgium, and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, majoring in Plant Breeding, from Visayas State University (VSU), graduating cum laude in both degrees. His research focuses on plant pathology, particularly plant virology and molecular plant pathology, with the goal of devoloping disease-resistant crop varieties to support agricultural productivity and food security. He has led and contributed to studies on major crop diseases, including work on tomato begomoviruses, garlic virome, papaya and banana viruses, corn pathology, and cassava disease resistance.

His projects have been supported by national and international funding and have resulted in publications, conference presentations, and scientific recognitions. In addition to his research role, he serves as an Affiliate Professor at UPLB, where he mentors undergraduate students in their theses and internships. He is also actively engaged in scientific leadership as President of the Philippine Phytopathological Society (PPS), Managing Editor of the Journal of Tropical Plant Pathology (JoTPP), Council Member of the Pest Management Council of the Philippines (PMCP), and Secretary of the PMCP Foundation, Inc. (PMCP FI).