معرفی
Dr. Mark Paul Rivarez is an Assistant Professor in Applied Biology at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Land and Food Systems in Vancouver, Canada. His research focuses on plant virology, virus evolution and ecology, and phytopathology, with particular emphasis on understanding virus diversity in agroecosystems.
Dr. Rivarez received his Doctor of Science degree from the National Institute of Biology and Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School in Slovenia (2019-2022), with secondments at research institutions in Spain and France. He previously earned a Master of Science in Plant Pathology from the University of the Philippines, and a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Biotechnology, magna cum laude, from the University of the Philippines and International Rice Research Institute.
Dr. Rivarez leads the Phytopathology + Virology (PPV) Laboratory, which employs an integrated approach from field observations to computational analysis to study plant pathogens and viruses. His research spans three main themes:
- AgroViroMics Research: Exploration of agroecosystem viromes and microbiomes, focusing on virus diversity in crops, wild plants, arthropods, and environments.
- PhyloEcology Research: Predictive studies on virus evolution and epidemiology using phylogenetics and ecological approaches.
- PhytoGuard Research: Development of sustainable solutions to protect plant health, including biological control for plant pathogens.
His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on plant virus discovery using high-throughput sequencing, with particular attention to tomato and weed viromes, virus diversity in irrigation water, and the characterization of emerging plant viruses like ilarviruses and tobamoviruses. His work bridges field observations with advanced bioinformatics and AI-based modeling approaches to understand virus ecology and evolution.
Dr. Rivarez has received several prestigious awards and fellowships:
- Balik Scientist Program Awardee of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Philippines (2022 and 2024)
- Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Fellow and Early Career Researcher at the National Institute of Biology, Slovenia (2019-2022)
- Becas Jovenes Investigadores (Young Researcher Scholarship) Awardee at the University of Valencia, Spain (2019)
Dr. Rivarez actively mentors students at all levels, from undergraduate to postdoctoral researchers. He welcomes interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly with researchers from computing sciences, chemistry, physics, and engineering. His lab is involved in multiple projects including plant virus discovery in tomato agroecosystems, virus diversity analyses, and viroid characterization. He is also developing collaborative projects to estimate global risks associated with emerging plant viruses and their impact on food security.
The Phytopathology + Virology (PPV) Laboratory operates with a field-to-computer integrated approach, conducting field surveys, greenhouse experiments, molecular diagnostics, high-throughput sequencing, and bioinformatics analysis. The lab welcomes students and researchers from diverse backgrounds to join their vibrant team working on virus hunting and pathogen discovery.
