Gazala Ameen

Gazala Ameen

Plant-Pathogen Interactions

Education

  • Ph.D. in plant pathology | North ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ State University | 2019
    • Dissertation title: Cloning and Characterization of rcs5, Spot Blotch Resistance Gene and Pathogen Induced Nec3 Gene Involved in Programmed Cell Death in Barley. 
  • M.S. in plant pathology | North ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ State University | 2014 
    • Thesis title: Characterization of Sensitivity of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum Isolates from North Central U.S. to Thiophanate-Methyl and Metconazole.                                                      

Academic and Professional Experience

Academic Responsibilities
  • 2021-present, instructor - PS 223 Principles of Plant Pathology
  • 2021-present, instructor - PS 223L Principles of Plant Pathology Laboratory
  • 2021-present, instructor for PS 791 IS: Advanced Plant Pathology.
  • 2021-present, instructor for PS 792 Teaching Experience.
  • Fall 2023, undergraduate research experience
  • Fall 2022, Fall 2024 - PS223 Principle of Plant Pathology Honor credit.
  • 2025-present, Instructor for PS714 and PS714L Genetics of Disease Resistance and Host Plant-Pathogen Interaction.
  • 2024 - ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ mentoring for ABS475 Senior Capstone Project
Work Experience
  • Aug. 2021-present, assistant professor, Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Department, South ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ State University.
  • Aug. 2019-Aug. 2021, post-doctoral research associate, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
  • 2011-2019, graduate research assistant, North ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ State University, Fargo, North ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ.
  • May 2012-July 2012, research assistant, Plant Diagnostics Laboratory, North ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ State University, Fargo, North ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ. 

Research and Scholarly Work

Awards and Honors
  • 2024 - Featured researcher on serving the South ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ grain and livestock producers.
  • 2024 - Featured researcher on SDPB (South ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ Public Broadcasting) radio on the program ‘I’ serving the South ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ public.
  • 2022 - USDA: , Collaborator
  • 2022 - July/August 2022.
  • 2020 - Invited speaker at 2020, 9th Nano Conference and awarded NSF-supported ‘Early Career Researchers Award’.
  • 2020 - Awarded ‘Bayer Diversity Initiative Fund Scholar’ at the 2020 ASA_CSSA_SSSA tri-societies conference.
  • 2019 - 2019 Wheat CAP Plant Science Symposium Invited Speaker and Travel Award, San Diego State University, CA.
Grants
  1. National Science Foundation (NSF) proposal in BRC-BIO: Towards mechanistic elucidation of wall-associated kinase immunity receptors in barley-spot blotch interaction, as PI, $494,829.
  2. South ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ Wheat Commission: Enhancing resilience of wheat against diseases for sustainable and profitable wheat production in South ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ, June 2023-December 2024, as a PI, $67,716.
  3. South ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ Wheat Commission: Enhancing resilience of wheat against diseases for sustainable and profitable wheat production in South ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ Supplemental, October 2023-December 2024, as a PI, $27,500.
  4. South ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ Soybean Research and Promotion Council proposal: Addressing the problem of soybean white mold disease in South ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ. August 2024 to July 2025 as co-PI, $48,746.
  5. South ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ Soybean Research and Promotion Council proposal: Assessment of mid-late season foliar diseases of soybean. May 2024 to April 2025 as co-PI, $31,251.
  6. SDCUC: South ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ Corn Utilization Council, Harnessing soil microbiome and its enzymatic properties for sustainably improving corn nutrient absorption and disease resistance capacity, as a Co-PI $57,035
  7. SDWC: South ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ Wheat Commission: Enhancing resilience of wheat against diseases for sustainable and profitable wheat production in South ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ, June 2024-Dec. 2025, as PI, $65,133.
  8. SDSU RSCA Challenge Fund: Development of transient transformation and spatiotemporal tools for functional validation in crop plants, as a PI, $15,000.
  9. US Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative: Screening of FHB resistance in superior winter and spring barley developed for the state of South ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ, May 2022-May 2026, as a PI, $104,824.
  10. Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council, January 2022-December 2024, ‘Breeding winter wheat varieties with FHB and straw strength’ as a Co-PI $32,120.
  11. South ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ Wheat Commission: Enhancing resilience of wheat against diseases for sustainable and profitable wheat production in South ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ, June 2022-December 2023, as a Co-PI, $73,234.
Publications
  1. Alhusays, A., Galvin, C., Torres, M., Senger, M., Fitzpatrick, E., Gonzalez-Hernandez, J.L., Glover, K., Solanki, S. and Ameen, G., 2024. First Report of Pantoea ananatis causing leaf streak disease on wheat (Triticum aestivum) in the United States of America. Plant Disease, 108(9), p.2913.
  2. Sharma, S., Reese, K., Kleinjan, J., Graham, C., Gonzalez Hernandez, J.L., Ali, S., Ameen, G. and Solanki, S., 2024. First report of Fusarium luffae causing soybean wilt in the USA. Plant Disease, PDIS-03-24-0556-PDN
  3. Rahman Bhuiyan, Md Ziaur; Solanki, Shyam; del Rio Mendoza, Luis E; Borowicz, Pawel; Lakshman, Dilip K; Qi, Aiming; Ameen, Gazala; Khan, Mohamed FR; Histopathological Investigation of Varietal Responses to Cercospora beticola Infection Process on Sugar Beet Leaves. 2023 Plant Disease 107 (12), 3906-3912.
  4. Mohamed FR Khan, MZR Bhuiyan, LE del Rio Mendoza, DK Lakhsman, A Ismaiel, A Azizi, G Ameen. First report of Fusarium solani (Mart.) Sacc. causing sugar beet seedling rot in Minnesota, USA. Journal of Plant Pathology, 2023. Journal of Plant Pathology 106 (1), 277-278.
  5. Mohamed FR Khan, MZR Bhuiyan, Luis E del Río Mendoza, Dilip K Lakhsman, Abdolbaset Azizi, Gazala Ameen, Arslan Sarwar. First Report of Leaf Spot of Sugar Beet Caused by Stemphylium vesicarium in Minnesota, U.S.A., 2023. Plant Disease 107 (8), 2526.
  6. First Plant Cell Atlas Symposium Report. Co-authored white paper, 2022. Published in Plant Direct. https://doi.org/10.1002/pld3.406
  7. Ameen G, Solanki S, Sager-Bittara L, Richards J, Tamang P, Friesen T, Brueggeman RS. 2021. Mutations in a barley cytochrome P450 gene enhances pathogen induced programmed cell death and cutin layer instability. PLoS Genetics 17 (12), e1009473. 
  8. Vision, challenges and opportunities for a plant cell atlas, published in eLife. Co-authored feature article, 2021. Elife 10, e66877.
Mailing Address:
Berg Agricultural Hall 253
Agronomy, Horticulture & Plant Science-Box 2100A
University Station
Brookings, SD 57007
Office Location:
Berg Agricultural Hall
Room 253
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Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science