Suzan Gabriels

Suzan Gabriels is a Scientist in the Plant Breeding department at Wageningen University & Research with extensive expertise in postharvest pathology and plant disease resistance. Her research focuses on developing innovative breeding strategies to improve crop resistance to pathogens, particularly Botrytis cinerea across various plant species.

Dr. Gabriels' research spans multiple critical areas in agricultural science:

• Development of hyperspectral imaging techniques for disease detection in plant breeding
• Genetic approaches to enhance resistance against postharvest pathogens
• Application of machine learning in plant phenotyping and disease scoring
• Improving storage quality of fruits, vegetables, and ornamental crops
• Integration of near-infrared spectroscopy in postharvest quality assessment

Her recent publications demonstrate a clear trajectory toward integrating advanced computational methods with traditional plant breeding, creating practical tools for breeders. The 2025 publications on Botrytis detection in rose petals using both hyperspectral imaging and deep learning approaches represent cutting-edge applications of technology in plant pathology.

Dr. Gabriels actively contributes to the next generation of plant scientists through her supervision of PhD candidates. She serves as co-promotor for projects addressing critical challenges in plant pathology, including resistance to Phytophthora capsici in peppers and genetic resistance to Botrytis in the Rosaceae family. Her previous leadership of the 'Interactive storage systems for potatoes' project (2016-2019) demonstrates her commitment to practical applications of breeding research that directly benefit growers and the agricultural industry.