Luisa Santamaria, Nursery Pathology Specialist at Oregon State University
Luisa Santamaria studied biology in her native Ecuador. Her interest in agricultural microbiology motivated her to pursue a graduate degree in the US. Luisa has conducted research in diverse areas, studying populations of nitrogen-fixing, free-living microorganisms, tissue culture in ornamentals, somaclonal variation and resistance screening for root-knot nematodes in Solanaceae, Phytophthora phaseoli epidemiology on lima beans, and screening of lima bean germplasm for resistance to races of P. phaseoli. She joined OSU in 2009, where she has created a new, bilingual, plant health program for the nursery and Christmas tree industry of Oregon and develops bilingual, educational material for her audiences. Her current research is on soil-borne pathogens (Phytophthora, Pythium, & Verticillium spp) in ornamental nursery crops. In the last three years, Luisa has expanded her interest to the isolation and characterization of cyanobacteria from agricultural waters and soils. She offers research experience to high school and community college students interested in any of these areas.
Oregon State University Department of Horticulture.
Grow healthy food and essential plants, design and create sustainable landscapes, and discover how plants improve people’s lives and livelihoods in the Department of Horticulture.
