Dr. Summaira Riaz is current Lead Research Geneticist in the Crop Diseases, Pests, and Genetics
Research Unit (CDPGRU) at the San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center (SJVASC) in Parlier,
California. Dr. Riaz completed her PhD from the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University
of California, Davis. She has worked with both cultivated and wild grapes. She led the research to
identify resistant loci for Pierce’s disease and grape powdery mildew in native American and Chinese
grape species. These resistant loci are the backbone of the winegrape breeding program at UC Davis
that released five PD resistant varieties in 2020. In the new role, her responsibility is to carry out
research on PD and PM and develop and continue variety develop pipeline to introduces new cultivars
of table grapes and raisins with high fruit quality, disease resistance to PM, consumer appeal, and
economic production to sustain American agriculture.
