Honorary graduates 2015-16

Professor Richard W Michelmore (DSc)

Saturday 23 January 2016 11:45am

After studying Natural Sciences at Cambridge, Richard Michelmore joined the faculty of the University of California at Davis in 1982. Richard was the founding Director of the Genome Center at UC Davis; in this role he oversaw the recruitment of over sixteen genomics and bioinformatics faculty and the development of five service cores. He is currently a Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Plant Sciences, Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Medical Microbiology and Immunology.

Richard has published over 160 scientific papers. His multidisciplinary research utilises a synthesis of molecular, genetic and evolutionary approaches. His interests span basic research into the molecular basis of specificity in plant-pathogen interactions to translational plant genetics and crop improvement.  His research is focused on comparative and functional genomics with an emphasis on plant disease resistance and pathogen variability. In addition, his program coordinates and hosts the bioinformatics component of the Compositae Genome Project.

Richard’s interests also include applications of next-generation DNA sequencing approaches to all areas of biology and its imminent impact on society in general. In particular, he aims to exploit such approaches for information-driven deployment of resistance genes in plants to provide durable disease resistance. In addition, he is interested in fostering research to enhance food security internationally.