PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR:
Carlos A. Avila
Associate Professor | Department of Horticultural Sciences
Texas A& M AgriLife Research and Extension Center
2415 E. Hwy 83, Weslaco, TX 78596
Email: Carlos.Avila@ag.tamu.edu
Office: +1 (956) 969-5636
Education:
PhD, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 2008
MSc, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 2005
BSc, Zamorano, Escuela Agricola Panamericana, Honduras 1999
Associate degree, Zamorano, Escuela Agricola Panamericana, Honduras 1997
CURRENT LAB MEMBERS:
Fall 2022. From left to right: Jana Jeevan Rameneni, Carlos A. Avila, ASM Faridul Islam, Ada Muñoz, and Anaizar Garza
- Jana Jeevan Rameneni, PhD
Associate Research Scientist
Projects: Tomato Quality and Post-Harvest Shelf Life
Email: jana.rameneni@ag.tamu.edu - Amo Aduragbemi
PhD Graduate Student
Project: Tomato Quality and Post-Harvest Shelf Life
Email: aduragbemi@tamu.edu - Ada Muñoz, BSc
Technician I
Email: ada.munozbenitez@ag.tamu.edu - Anaizar Garza, BSc
Technician I
Email: anaizar.garza@ag.tamu.edu
FORMER LAB MEMBERS:
- ASM Faridul Islam, PhD
Post-Doctoral Research Associate
Projects: Spinach seed for grain, Spinach water-use efficiency - Devi Kandel, PhD
PostDoctoral Research Associate
Projects: tomato fruit quality traits, TYLCV resistance in tomato, high-throughput phenotyping in tomato - Dario Rueda-Kunz, BSc
MSc. Graduate Research Assistant
Projects: Enhancement of Ascorbic acid in spinach, Salt Stress tolerance in Spinach - Samantha Serna
Ag Research Worker - Elizabeth Solano
Student worker – Summer 2021 internship
Undergraduate Student, Texas A&M – Kingsville - Henry O. Awika, PhD
PostDoctoral Research Associate
Projects: Disease resistance in Spinach (White rust and Anthracnose), Nitrogen- and water-use efficiency in spinach, high-throughput phenotyping in Spinach - Gerleene Acuna, BSc.
Lab Technician, Chemical Composition Analysis - Alexandra Hernandez
Ag Research Worker - Estephanie Bernal, MSc
Lab technician - Leticia Rodriguez
Ag Research Worker - Alondra Menchaca
Ag Research Worker - Thiago G. Marconi, PhD
Research Associate - Sonia delRio, PhD
PostDoctoral Research Associate - Zenaida Viloria, PhD
PostDoctoral Research Associate - Julianna Kurpis, MSc.
Lab Technician
GROUP PICTURES:
Congratulations to Dario Rueda for his successful MSc. Thesis defense on June 11th, 2021!!! Thesis title: “Ascorbic Acid content in spinach: phenotypic diversity, association mapping, and effect on salt stress tolerance”
Summer 2020. Front: Carlos Avila, Back from left to right: Dario Rueda, Devi Kandel, Estephanie Bernal, and Samantha Serna. Not in the picture: Henry Awika, Alexandra Hernandez
Summer 2019. From left to right. Back: Henry Awika, Carlos Avila, Dario Rueda, Ernesto Anciso, and Devi Kandel. Front: Samantha Serna, Alexandra Hernandez, and Alondra Menchaca