Sarah Jane Gurr
Candidate for
Vice
President
Chair in Food Security, Exeter University,
from February 2013, previously Professor of
Molecular Plant Pathology, University of Oxford.
email:
S.J.Gurr@exeter.ac.uk
ISPP VP “manifesto”: I am delighted to be
nominated as a candidate for the position of
ICCP VP as from 2018. I believe this is a
pivotal role being a) to support the President
b) to raise awareness of food security in the
global context of plant disease biology and crop
losses c) to advise on policy issues and d) to
ensure succession and training. I have
summarised my various skills and achievements in
the short curriculum vitae attached below. I
believe these show my “passion” for plants and
great interest in plant disease biology, and
mitigation. The prose also outlines the various
leadership roles I have undertaken in the quest
for Global Food Security. I take much pleasure
in speaking about this subject and have given
over 3000 lectures to scientific audiences,
undergraduates, politicians and the public. I
would wish to raise awareness of and to ensure
succession in our fascinating world of plant
pathology.
Short Summary: Prof. Sarah Gurr studied at
Imperial College of Science, Technology and
Medicine (BSc ARCS DIC and PhD), where she was
awarded The Huxley Medal for her outstanding
record of achievement. She was a post-doctoral
Fellow in Fungal Biology at St Andrews
University and then held an independent Royal
Society University Research Fellowship in
Molecular Plant Pathology. She was appointed,
firstly as Lecturer, then Reader and Professor
at Oxford (and Fellow of Somerville College),
where she held a Leverhulme Trust Royal Society
Senior Research and a NESTA Fellowship. Sarah
was appointed to the Chair in Food Security, a
post created by Exeter University in association
with BBSRC and Rothamsted Research, in 2013. She
was formerly President of The British Society of
Plant Pathology and currently sits on BBSRC
Council. Her interests are in crop diseases
(notably of rice and wheat), with particular
emphasis on fungal infestations and in their
global movement and control. She has authored or
co-authored aver 120 publications, including a
contribution to the recent Government Foresight
report on “Biological Hazards”. Sarah has held
the Donder's Chair (Honorary) at Utrecht
University, 2016-2017, and is currently Erskine
Fellow at Canterbury University, Christchurch,
NZ.
Gurr cv
2017.pdf
