Professor Pedro Crous

The evolution of fungal plant pathogens and molecular systematics form the basis of Professor Pedro Crous’s research, focusing on ascomycetous fungi, revising several major phytopathogenic genera and families of the species. He obtained his PhD in Plant Pathology from the University of the Free State and a DSc in Fungal Biodiversity from the University of Pretoria. He spent time as a Researcher at the Plant Protection Institute in Stellenbosch and Pretoria and as a Lecturer and Professor at various institutions in South Africa, Australia, and the Netherlands. He is currently an Extraordinary Professor at the UP and SU. Over the last decade he has published/co-published more than 250 articles in journals such as Nature Communications and Nature Microbiology and eight books and a book chapter. He has supervised 25 Master’s and 31 PhD candidates. He won the Ainsworth Medal from the International Mycological Association and is a Fellow of a number of societies in South Africa as well as internationally.