Dr. Gefu Wang-Pruski received her BSc in microbiology from Nan Kai University in China, and PhD in Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from the University of Alberta, Canada. She has over 25 years of experience in research using both animal and plant systems. Since appointed as Professor at the Nova Scotia Agricultural college in Nova Scotia, Canada 10 years ago, Dr. Wang-Pruski has been heavily involved in teaching, research and graduate training activities. Dr. Wang-Pruski's special areas of expertise are in potato production using molecular biology and genomics tools, in particularly, focusing on tuber processing quality, disease resistance, improved nutrition, and potato marketing strategies. Her published work includes over 50 peer-reviewed publications in gene expression regulation, monitoring of gene expressions, genome mapping, and genetic and environmental interactions of potato tuber quality. In addition, two patents related to the genes which functions involved in controlling of tuber quality traits have been filed since 2005. Besides her professor duties at the university, Dr.
Wang-Pruski is also responsible for consulting industry, growers and government. Her current research program is focusing on developing high throughput molecular tools for diagnosis and detection of potato diseases and for studies associated with cultivar development using marker assistant selection approaches.