Dr Pathmanathan Umaharan

Senior Lecturer in Genetics (Plant Science)

Contact Information:

Department of Life Sciences.
The University of the West Indies
St. Augustine. Trinidad & Tobago.
Telephone: 1(868) 645-3232/9 Ext.3108
Fax: 1(868) 663-9686
E-Mail: Pathmanathan.Umaharan@sta.uwi.edu
Location: Rm 320, 2nd Floor, Natural Sciences Building, Old Wing

Educational Background:

• BSc (Agric) University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka (1982)
• Ph.D. (Genetics) The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine (1990)

Post Doctoral Fellowships/ Training:

• Research Fellow at the Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California. Molecular Biology of Geminiviruses - 1 year (1996)
• International Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology. Plant Transformation methods - 6 weeks (1991)

Areas of Expertise/Research Interests:

• Transformation of tropical crop species
• Genetic analysis of resistance to tropical diseases and resistance breeding
• Genetic diversity and plant genetic resource management

Courses Offered:

• Biochemistry, Genetics & Evolution
• Principles of Crop Production
• Cell Biology and Genetics
• Advanced Genetics
• Biosystematics and Evolution
• Molecular Biology
• Plant Biotechnology
• Plant Breeding
  

Current Graduate Students

• Altman Ragoobarsingh (Ph.D) - Morphophisiological selection criteria related to yield in cowpea
• Helen Booker (Ph.D) - Genetic analysis of resistance to Cercospora leaf spot and its effect on yield in cowpea.
• Albada Beekham (M. Phil) - Genetic analysis of some pod quality traits in vegetable pigeonpea.
• Nigel Austin (M.Phil.) - Logging and the genetic variability of tree species
• Surendra Surujdeo-Maharaj (M.Phil) - Comparison of screening methods to assess witches broom resistance in cacao.
• Annelle Holder (M.Phil) - Developing a method of screening for resistance to a pseudomonad infecting Anthurium andreanum
• Ria Swarath (M.Phil) - Biolistic transformation and regeneration of sugarcane

Recent Publications:

• Umaharan, P. Ariyanayagam, R.P. and Haque, S.Q. (1997). Resistance to Cowpea Severe Mosaic virus, determined by three dosage dependent genes in Vigna unguiculata L. Walp. Euphytica 95: 49-55.
  
• Mohamed, El, M. Umaharan, P. and R.H. Phelps. (1997) The genetic nature of bacterial wilt resistance (C.A. Pseudomonas solanacearum E.F. Smith) in Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. Euphytica 96: 323-326.
  
• Iwaro, D. A., Umaharan, P. and Sreenivasan (1997). Genetic basis of foliar resistance to Phytophthora palmivora in cacao (Theobroma cacao L.). Euphytica
  97: 377-383.
  
• Umaharan, P., Padidam, M., Phelps, R.H., Beachy, R.N., and Fauquet, C.M. (1998). Distribution and Diversity of Geminiviruses in Trinidad and Tobago. Phytopathology 88: 1262-1268.