Shaun Clare

Shaun Clare is a Research Fellow at Washington State University (WSU), affiliated with the Department of Plant Sciences within the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences. He joined Bob Brueggeman’s barley lab in 2023, focusing on developing superior barley cultivars for malt, feed, and food markets. Clare holds a PhD in Molecular Plant Science from WSU (2022), preceded by a master’s in Plant Genetics and a bachelor’s in Biological Sciences from UK institutions. His postdoctoral work at USDA-ARS involved bioinformatics in polyploid crops like hops, raspberries, and blueberries.

His research emphasizes fungal pathogen interactions in barley, particularly resistance to rust and net blotch diseases. He develops genotyping platforms for crops and contributes to clonal identification methods in berries and hops. Notable projects include the 'Woodies' rust-resistant barley germplasm and diagnostic markers for hop sex determination.

Clare’s work bridges genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics to address crop improvement challenges. His lab aims to enhance disease resistance and agronomic traits through molecular tools and genetic mapping.