André C. Velásquez Landmann

André C. Velásquez Landmann is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Western Carolina University (WCU), within the College of Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on plant-microbiota interactions, particularly mechanisms enabling bacterial colonization in plants and enhancing beneficial microbiota while halting pathogen growth to improve agricultural productivity. He holds a BS in Biology from Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina (Perú) and a PhD from Cornell University, followed by postdoctoral research at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) at Michigan State University and Duke University.

Dr. Velásquez has taught courses such as BIOL 333 (Cell and Molecular Biology) at WCU and previously instructed Plant Physiology Laboratory (PLB 416L) and Cells and Molecules (BS 161) at Michigan State University. His lab, detailed at velasquezlab.com, explores strategies to manipulate microbiota dynamics for agricultural benefits. While no specific grants or awards are listed, his work aims to identify survival mechanisms of microbial populations within plant tissues.