-Magdalen Lindeberg

SIPS is pleased to welcome Daniel Heck, Senior Extension Associate in the Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section. This position is based at the Long Island Horticultural Research and Extension Center (LIHREC). Daniel was the successful candidate in the search for a LIHREC vegetable pathologist conducted in fall of 2023. Daniel holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from various Brazilian universities and is already familiar to many in SIPS, having worked as a postdoctoral associate in the research program of Sarah Pethybridge since 2019.

As part of his postdoctoral research, Daniel led development of the Sampling app for estimation of disease intensity, monitored fungicide sensitivity of Stephylium vesicarium populations, designed microsatellite markers for genetics-based insights into pathogen epidemiology and evolution, and mentored numerous graduate students and technicians.  His future interests lie in combining epidemiology, population genetics, and data science to tackle disease management challenges in vegetable crops.

Daniel officially starts on May 1, 2024 and will be based at LIHREC in Riverhead NY. For more than a century, the Long Island Horticultural Research and Extension Center has supported Long Island agriculture with a particular focus on vegetables and ornamental plants.