Vamsi J Nalam, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management
Colorado State University
1177 Campus Delivery
Fort Collins, CO 80525
Office (970)-491-4189
Current Lab Members
Elizabeth Blotevogel
Research Technician
Elizabeth is our lab manager and contributes to several projects. She is currently working on the soybean translatome in response to aphid infestation and on developing synthetic peptides to control spread of PVY.
Shailesh Raj Acharya
M.S. Student, Graduate Research Assistant
Email: Shailesh.Raj.Acharya@colostate.edu
Shailesh is interested in developing novel strategies to control phloem feeding insect pests by targetting the symbiosis between the insect pest and their endosymbiotic bacteria.
Stephen Wyka
Ph.D. Student, USDA Pre-Doctoral Fellow
Email: stephenwyka@gmail.com
Stephen's overall goal is to better understand the evolutionary and lifestyle history of Claviceps purpurea with its grass hosts by combining greenhouse, field surveys, and comparative genomic based approaches. Genomic research focuses on identifying genes under selection pressure that can help us understand the successfulness and broad host range of C. purpurea compared to other claviceps species that have very narrow host ranges and are significantly more destructive to their hosts. He can also been found at https://github.com/PlantDr430
Jennifer Rushton
M.S. Student, Graduate Teaching Assistant
Email: J.Rushton@colostate.edu
Jennifer's research will focus on developing to better study the infection process of potato necrotic viruses such as Potato Virus Y, Potato Mop Top Virus and Tobacco Rattle Virus
Judy Chiginsky
M.S. Student, Graduate Research Assistant
(Co-advised with Dr. Nachappa)
Email: Judith.Chiginsky@colostate.edu
Judy's research will focus on studying the interaction between Beet Curly Top virus , its vector the Beet leafhooper and Sugar beet plants.
Previous Lab Members
Graduate Students
Patrick Selig (2015 - 2017): Wastewater/Water Operations Specialist, F&V Operations
Kumud Joshi (2015 - 2017): Ph.D. Candidate Bowling Green State University
Undergraduate Students
Travis Issacs
Sarah Moh
Meredith Werling
Harish Bingi
Alyssa Hoffman
Randall McComb
Peter Saya II
Nicholas White
Philip Dinh