Brian J. Steffenson

Brian J. Steffenson, a Professor of Plant Pathology at the University of Minnesota, is the Lieberman-Okinow Endowed Chair of Cereal Disease Resistance. His work focuses on leveraging genetic diversity in wild cereal species to enhance disease resistance in wheat, barley, oat, and rye. As Co-Director of the Stakman-Borlaug Center, he leads collaborative projects to clone resistance genes and study cereal rust evolution.

• Education
  • PhD in Plant Pathology, University of California-Davis (1988)
  • MS in Plant Pathology, University of Minnesota (1983)
  • BS in Plant Pathology, University of Minnesota (1980)
• Research Interests
  • Genetics of disease resistance in cereals
  • Exploitation of wild crop progenitors for trait improvement
  • Molecular diversity in plant pathogens
  • Host-parasite co-evolution
  • Virulence mechanisms in rust fungi
• Article Trends
  • Recent work highlights gene discovery in barley (e.g., Rpg1, rpg4, RpgQ), virulence effectors in rust fungi, and cross-species pathogen dynamics.
  • Key methods include map-based cloning, haplotype analysis, and transgenic resistance testing.
  • Projects integrate UN SDG goals for sustainable crop production.
• Grants
  • USDA Agricultural Research Service (2022–2026): Genetic Enhancement of FHB Resistance, Host Immunity in Rust Evolution
  • Collaborative projects on oat crown rust and barley germplasm development
• Labs & Teams
  • Steffenson Lab
  • Collaborations with researchers in Germany (IPK Gatersleben), Ethiopia, and the U.S.