Plant genetics specialist joins IRRI's Young Researcher’s Lunch

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines, 11 August—The Young Researchers' Lunch recently hosted John McKay (center in photo), associate professor of plant genetics at Colorado State University. Dr. McKay, who is at IRRI to serve as a resource person for the ongoing 2016 Rice Research to Production Course, is also the principal investigator at The McKay Lab. His research interest is to gain an understanding of the traits and genes of plants involved in adaptation to particular stresses such as drought.

The group discussed making comparisons between working with model plant species such as Arabidopsis spp. and crops such as rice. Dr. McKay also provided some perspectives on the current funding situation at U.S. universities that affects the enrollment of potential graduate students.

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Founder of Rice Crop Manager joins IRRI Young Researchers' Lunch

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna--The Young Researchers' Lunch for July hosted Dr. Roland Buresh (seated at center in photo), the IRRI soil scientist who spearheaded the Nutrient Manager and Rice Crop Manager platforms and who will soon be retiring after more than 20 years with the institute.  

Buresh shared the story of his career path, which started with a PhD on submerged marine soils and led to opportunities to work on fertilizer use in submerged rice soils. He encouraged the young researchers to publish their work and to hone their writing skills to be able to highlight their research concisely. 

Regarding his decision to shift his focus to more applied work on Rice Crop Manager, Buresh commented that this was more a late-career move that he was able to pursue only after his years of research in the discipline. Buresh also attributed part of Rice Crop Manager's success to empowering national scientists with the governments of their own countries.

Lunch participants were Jeny Raviz, Emma Quicho, Carlo Leo U. Cabral, Carlito Balingbing, Xiaoqian Wang, and Jun Correa. At the end of the lunch, the group was joined by Buresh's research staff who serenaded him in celebration of his 65th birthday.

The Young Researchers Lunch is a monthly meeting for national recruited staff and scientists in the Association of Fellows, Scholars, Trainees, and Residents (AFSTRI) who are in the early stages of their career. It provides an opportunity for discussions with senior scientists on a range of topics including science and career paths.

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BMGF program officer joins Young Researchers' Lunch

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—The Young Researchers' Lunch in March hosted Dr. Gary Atlin, senior program officer and crop productivity lead within the Agricultural Research and Development team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).

Dr. Atlin (center in photo) is involved with the funding and management of several BMGF-funded projects at IRRI such as Green Super Rice, the Genomic Open Source Breeding Informatics Initiative, and Stress-Tolerant Rice for Africa and South Asia. Dr. Atlin is a research manager, agricultural development specialist, and plant breeder with 30 years of experience in cultivar development, genetic analysis, and the management and optimization of breeding programs in the Americas, Africa, and Asia.

Dr. Atlin, who was at IRRI for the Green Super Rice annual meeting, discussed some issues related to breeding and emphasized the need to improve efficiency. He encouraged the young researchers to work in the private sector and acquire experience under its different management style and level of technological advancement.

Dr. Atlin also stressed the advantages of working with different crops at different institutes. He has worked at IRRI, the International Potato Center in Peru, and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center in Mexico.

The young researchers having lunch with Dr. Atlin were Jeff Detras, Ashish Rajurkar, Varunseelan Murugaiyan, Umair Aslam, Venice Margarette Juanillas, and Frederickson Entila.

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Young Researchers' Lunch hosts AfricaRice deputy director general

Los Baños, Philippines - The Young Researchers' Lunch for December hosted Marco Wopereis. Wopereis is currently Deputy Director General and Director of Research for Development of the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), positions he has held since November 2007. He is succeeding J.D.H Keatinge as  Director General of AVRDC-The World Vegetable Center in Taiwan.

Wopereis has extensive experience in research for development related to integrated natural resources management, and rice in particular. He served as AfricaRice’s irrigated rice agronomist in Senegal from 1994-2000. He also worked for IRRI (1989-1994) and the International Centre for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development (2002-2005) in Togo.

“He has indeed made very significant contributions to AfricaRice, more especially in terms of the establishment of a solid scientific direction and foundation,” Harold Roy-Macauley, AfricaRice director general, said in a press statement. “He has certainly played a highly significant role in leading the implementation of the research for development program, which has ensured a sound scientific position for AfricaRice in the global rice research arena and the achievement of important successes.”

In describing his career path, Wopereis emphasized the importance of having a supportive partner and making family decisions when changing posts. He encouraged young researchers to work in Africa, which described as “an exciting challenge” and “something different” from working at IRRI in the Philippines.

Participants were Maria Dwiyanti, Sung Ryul Kim, Rebecca Laza, Crisanta Bueno, Manuel Marcaida, and Majid Mortazavi.

The Young Researchers Lunch is a monthly meeting for NRS and AFSTRI scientists who are in the early stages of their career. The purpose is to provide an opportunity for discussions with senior scientists on a range of topics including science and career paths

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IRRI-ESA regional coordinator joins the Young Researchers' Lunch

The Young Researchers' Lunch for March hosted Joseph Bigirimana, a plant pathologist and IRRI's regional coordinator for East and Southern Africa (ESA).

Dr. Bigirimana shared many stories and the lessons he learned with the young researchers. He emphasized the importance of networking in a scientist's career. “A meeting with the IRRI Director General when I was a visiting collaborator eventually led to the IRRI-Burundi partnership,” Dr. Bigirimana said. “Visitors could lead to helpful contacts later so meeting them is essential.”

While Dr. Bigirimana advocated an attitude of humility, and advised the young researchers to adapt to the local people and culture when they travel to work in a new place, he also told them not to hide their achievements.

Participants were Maria Stefanie Dwiyanti, Bryan Balajadia, Sabiha Parween, Bryce Blackman, Anny Ruth Pame, and Satyen Mondal. The lunch was held on 27 March 2015.

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Former genetic resources head is guest in May researchers' lunch

Mike Jackson, OBE (center, in blue),
with some of IRRI's budding scientists.

Mike Jackson, OBE, former director of program planning and coordination and head of the Genetic Resources Center at IRRI, was the guest in this month's Young Researchers Lunch.

Dr. Jackson met with IRRI researchers Lenie Quiatchon-Baeza, Tahir Hussain Awan, Pogs Manalili, James Quilty, Kai Wang, and Zilhas Ahmed Jewel on 6 May 2013, sharing stories from the course of his career that started at the International Potato Center in Peru, before the CGIAR was even formed.

Max-Planck-Institut scientist is guest in March researchers' lunch

The Young Researchers Lunch for March hosted Dirk Hincha, head of the Central Infrastructure Group (transcript profiling) of the Max-Planck-Institut fur Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie in Potsdam, Germany.

Dr. Hincha entertained questions about analyses including metabolite profiling and RNA sequencing and shared his views on the importance of conducting hypothesis-driven experiments rather than doing studies involving more and more measurements in search of some significant differences.

Incoming GRiSP director is guest in researchers' lunch

Bas Bouman, new director of the Global Rice Science Partnership (center).

Bas Bouman, head of IRRI's Crop and Environmental Sciences Division and newly named director of the Global Rice Science Partnership or GRiSP, was the guest scientist during the Young Researchers Lunch for August.

Participants were Balwinder Singh, Nikos Tsakirpaloglou, Sharifa Sultana Dipti, Yam Kanta Gaihre, Annette Tobias, and Elenor de Leon.

Dr. Bouman discussed his own career path with the participants, which he said was always determined by taking the best opportunities that came up and not by following a set plan. He parted with the young researchers with this tip: "If someone asks you where your career is headed in the next 10-15 years, it's okay if you don't give them an answer."

The Young Researchers Lunch is a monthly meeting for NRS and AFSTRI scientists who are in the early stages of their career. The purpose is to provide an opportunity for discussions with senior scientists on a range of topics including science and career paths.

For more information, please contact Joy Sagabay (M.Sagabay@cgiar.org) or Amelia Henry (A.Henry@cgiar.org).


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IRRI breeder is guest in July researchers' lunch

Parminder Virk (third from left) is a scientist in plant breeding at IRRI.

Parminder Virk, plant breeder at IRRI, was the guest scientist in the Young Researchers Lunch for July.

Dr. Virk led a very informative discussion on topics related to breeding for yield potential, such as target genes for marker-assisted selection, yield potential traits, and aspects of variety release. He encouraged the young researchers to stick to the task and dedicate at least 5-10 years in plant breeding, because that is the amount of time needed for one to see the results of one's work and have an impact.

Lunch attendees were Crisanta Bueno, Hasina Begum, Michaela Hoffelmeyer, Tahir Awan, and Ma. Rebecca Laza.

The Young Researchers Lunch is a monthly meeting for scientists who are in the early stages of their careers. The purpose is to provide an opportunity for discussion with senior scientists on a range of topics that including research and career paths.

For more information, please contact Joy Sagabay (M.Sagabay@cgiar.org) or Amelia Henry (A.Henry@cgiar.org).