Our Team:
Punya Nachappa
Associate Professor Ph.D. (Entomology) Kansas State University Email: [email protected] Phone: 970-481-2628 
Jinlong Han
Research Scientist I (2022-current) Ph.D. (Plant Pathology) North Carolina State University Jinlong is involved in several projects, with his primary research focusing on the dynamics, population biology, and epidemiology of curly top disease in hemp, as well as the diagnostics and transmission biology of hop latent viroid. 
Ashley Raffa
Research Associate I (2022-current) B.S. (Biology) Colorado State University Ashley is involved in several projects, including evaluating the effects of pesticides on common hemp pests, chemical residues, and cannabinoid concentrations, as well as developing effective methods to share research-based information with local hemp growers and other stakeholders. This research is supported by the Institute of Cannabis Research. |
Jacob MacWillams
Research Scientist I and Lab Manager (2021-current) Ph.D. (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) UC Riverside Jacob is involved in several projects, with his primary research examining the adaptive role of cannabinoids and other secondary metabolites in hemp–insect interactions. This research is supported by the Institute of Cannabis Research. 
Max Schmitbauer
Ph.D. student (2022-current) B.S. (Agricultural Biology) Colorado State University Max’s research focuses on developing practices that leverage the benefits of organic production to improve sustainable pest management in hemp. His current project examines 1) the role of the rhizosphere microbiome in plant resistance to pests and 2) organic inputs in reducing pest populations. This research is supported by the NIFA-OREI program. |
