Francisco Morales

Dr. Francisco J. Morales obtained his BSc degree in Agricultural Engineering from the National University of Colombia, Bogotá, in 1971. The following year he was admitted to the Graduate School of Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, where he received his MSc degree in Plant Pathology, with a Minor in International Agricultural Development. In 1978, he finished his doctoral studies at the Plant Pathology Department of the University of Florida, Gainesville, USA, in the area of Plant Virology. That year, he joined CIAT as a virologist for the Bean Program.

In 1988, Dr. Morales created the Plant Virus Research Unit at CIAT, which integrated the four CIAT’s mandated commodity programs (beans, cassava, rice, and tropical forages) to the Unit’s research agenda. From 1999 until 2002, he assisted the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute-IPGRI (currently, Bioversity International) as a part-time Plant Health Specialist.

In 2002, he became the coordinator of the Global Whitefly Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Project, while continuing to act as Head of CIAT’s Plant Virus Laboratory, until his retirement in 2008. Dr. Morales is author of over 120 international publications, and has received several national and international awards for services rendered to the international agricultural community.