Borlaug Global Rust Initiative

We are proud to recognize Shannon Baker as a 2026 Jeanie Borlaug Laube WIT Early Career Award recipient. Shannon uses drone-based phenotyping and data analysis to reveal how wheat varieties respond to drought, disease and other field pressures, helping research teams identify promising lines sooner and advance more resilient wheat. She also leads education and professional development across a national wheat research network, giving students and early-career scientists the chance to contribute directly to major wheat research efforts. Texas A&M AgriLife Research https://bgri.cornell.edu/awards/wit-early-career-award/shannon-baker/

We are proud to recognize Bernice Ngina Waweru as a 2026 Jeanie Borlaug Laube WIT Early Career Award recipient.

Bernice is a PhD researcher at the John Innes Centre whose work focuses on the genetic basis of wheat disease resistance. By combining molecular biology, phenotyping, genetics and computational tools, she is helping identify useful variation linked to yellow rust resistance and support the development of more resilient wheat.

Read more about Bernice and her work: https://bgri.cornell.edu/awards/wit-early-career-award/bernice-waweru/

Researchers around the world are driving critical advances to protect one of the world’s most important food crops from escalating disease threats and production challenges. As part of supporting and recognizing the next generation of scientific leadership, we are proud to announce Shannon Baker, Katharina Jung and Bernice Ngina Waweru as the 2026 recipients of the Jeanie Borlaug Laube WIT Early Career Award.

🔬 Shannon Baker, from Texas A&M AgriLife Research, integrates unoccupied aerial systems, data analytics and classical breeding to accelerate wheat cultivar development for drought-prone and irrigated production systems.

🌾 Katharina Jung, from the Universität Zürich, studies the genetic basis of yellow rust resistance and drought adaptation in bread wheat, with a focus on modern and traditional wheat varieties from Asia.

🧬 Bernice Ngina Waweru, from the John Innes Centre, uses molecular biology, high-resolution phenotyping, genetics and computational approaches to uncover the genetic basis of wheat disease resistance.

Together, their work reflects the innovation, collaboration and leadership needed to strengthen wheat against disease and support farmers facing growing pressure in the field.

Please join us in congratulating Shannon, Katharina and Bernice!

BGRI Honors Early-Career Scientists Advancing Wheat Research Three early-career scientists advancing wheat phenotyping, genetic diversity and disease-resistance genomics have been named recipients of the 2026 Jeanie Borlaug Laube WIT Early Career Awards.

Wheat diseases do not stop at borders, and protecting harvests requires coordinated global action.

The Global Wheat Health Alliance, co-led by International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and Cornell University, will bring together partners across South Asia, East Africa, and the global wheat research community to connect gene discovery, field testing, and pre-emptive breeding for stronger disease resistance in new wheat varieties and hybrids.

Global Wheat Health Alliance launched to strengthen disease resistance in wheat The Global Wheat Health Alliance will connect gene discovery, field testing and pre-emptive breeding to help deliver stronger disease resistance in new wheat varieties and hybrids.