Rod Snowdon

Rod Snowdon is a Professor and Chair of Plant Breeding at Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen since 2013. He holds honorary positions at The University of Queensland, Southwest University, and Hunan Agricultural University, and leads the IRTG 2843 international research training group.

• Education: PhD in Biometry and Population Genetics (1997-2001), MSc in Plant Genetics (1991), BSc in Biology (1989)
• Key Roles: Editor-in-Chief of Theoretical and Applied Genetics, member of DFG Review Board, and scientific advisor for Julius Kühn Institute

His research focuses on genomic and genetic dissection of complex traits in crops like oilseed rape, sorghum, wheat, barley, and faba bean. He specializes in trait prediction using multi-omics data and analyzing structural genome variation's impact on quantitative traits and crop evolution.

Recent publications highlight his work in genotype-environment interactions, faba bean genome analysis, sorghum conservation breeding, and canola establishment strategies. Trends include crop adaptation to environmental stress, genomic resource development, and sustainable breeding methodologies.

• Honors: Honorary Doctorate from Iasi University, OECD Fellowship
• Leadership: Chair of Multinational Brassica Genome Project (2013-2015), Speaker of IRTG 2843

As Editor-in-Chief and advisory board member, he shapes global plant breeding research directions. His lab integrates molecular techniques with population genetics to enhance crop resilience and productivity.