Pathmanathan Umaharan (Uma)
Professor of Genetics at the University of the West Indies, Director of the Cocoa Research Centre, Honorary Professor of the Future Food Beacon
Email: Pathmanathan.Umaharan@sta.uwi.edu
Uma is a geneticist, with most of his early work centred around understanding the genetics of resistance to bacterial, fungal and viral diseases in a number of tropical crops. These crops include: cowpea, tomato, capsicum peppers and anthurium. His recent research uses genetics to solve problems facing the cocoa industry, such as the presence of cadmium in cocoa beans, negative impacts of climate change and inconsistencies in cocoa quality.
Uma gained a PhD from the University of the West Indies (1990) and was made a Professor of Genetics in 2008. In 2010, he was appointed Director of the Cocoa Research Centre of the University of the West Indies, which also hosts the International Cocoa Genebank. In 2019, the Future Food Beacon is honoured to introduce him as its Honorary Professor.