I am Emeritus Professor of Plant Pathology at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC). Until my retirement in February 2016, I was leader of the Crop Protection team at SRUC’s campus in Edinburgh, where my research focused on induced resistance to plant pathogens. I obtained my PhD from Lancaster University in 1981 and was awarded a DSc by them in 1999 for research on plant-pathogen interactions. I am the author of more than 160 scientific papers, have edited three books and written two textbooks, the latest of which is Physiological Responses of Plants to Attack (Wiley-Blackwell, 2015). My work on induced resistance has been covered in the media.

I have a new book which is due to be published in June – The Global Threat Posed by Plant Disease: the underestimated threat (CABI, 2026). I am also writing two books for Riverside Press in London. These are intended for a general audience.