Prof Rattan Yadav

PhD

I am Professor of Plant Genetics and hold a personal chair at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) of the Aberystwyth University. I received my DPhil degree from the University of Sussex and subsequently undertook post-doctoral research at International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Philippines before coming to Aberystwyth in 1996. 

My research, over the last 30 years, has focused on capturing and translating naturally occurring genetic variations present in crops germplasm for public good outcomes. I have interests in developing and applying modern plant breeding methods utilising genetics and genomics approaches to hasten breeding in tropical millets (Pennisetum glaucum, Eleusine coracana) and temperate forage grasses (Lolium perenne) leading to sustainable food, nutrition, health, and environmental outcomes at global scale. In pursuing such aims, I have developed specialised genetic and genomics resources (e.g. mapping populations, germplasm populations, maps, markers etc) and have demonstrated their use in developing technologies (e.g., marker assisted selection system in crop plants), and crops varieties, that are successfully grown across the world. In delivering such goals, I collaborate with academics, seeds and food industries, and not for profit inter-governmental organizations (such as European Union, CGIAR) and passionate about pursuing international development goals via sustainable agricultural developments. Apart from my academic and research activities, I actively engage externally, for example, I am currently a member of UK’s Research Excellence Framework (REF) sub panel 6: Agriculture, Food and Veterinary sciences (see details at - REF - https://www.ref.ac.uk/media/1789/main-panel-a-full-membership-list-nov-2021.pdf). REF in UK is a system of assessing the quality of research across the UK higher education institutions, therefore, is an activity of immense importance for the institutions across the country. Earlier in 2020, I completed my 3 years tenure as a member of BBSRC’s Follow-on-Fund Committee. Presently, I am also a member of several research grant awarding panels within the UK (e.g., GCRF, Newton Fund, British Council, BBSRC, Innovate UK) and abroad (e.g., European Commission, Swedish Council for Sustainable Development (known as Formas). In 2020, I reviewed global CRP RICE hosted by IRRI (https://ricecrp.org/) to which I provided leadership in evaluating quality and effectiveness of its science and provided recommendations for its future orientation. I am Academic editor of PlosOne Since 2014, and have guest edited special issues for Agronomy and Frontiers in Plant Sciences in the past.