YIQUN WENG
Curriculum Vitae
USDA ARS, Vegetable Crops Research Unit
Horticulture Department, 1575 Linden Dr.,
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
Phone: (608) 262-0028
Email: yiqun.weng@wisc.edu or yiqun.weng@usda.gov
Lab web: https://wenglab.horticulture.wisc.edu/
EDUCATION
BS Plant Genetics and Breeding, Nanjing Agricultural University, China, 1985
MS Cytogenetics, Nanjing Agricultural University, China, 1988
PhD Genetics, Texas A & M University, College Station, USA, 1998
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
06/2020 – present:
Research Geneticist, USDA-ARS
Professor, Horticulture Department
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
05/2014 – 05/2020:
Research Geneticist, USDA-ARS
Associate Professor, Horticulture Department
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
09/2008 – 05/2014:
Research Geneticist, USDA-ARS
Assistant Professor, Horticulture Department
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
01/1999 – 08/2008:
Assistant/Associate/Research Scientist
Texas A&M University Agriculture Research Center – Amarillo, Texas
09/1994 – 12/1998:
Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant
Texas A & M University, College Station
09/1988 – 08/1994:
Teaching Assistant, Lecturer
Department of Agronomy, Nanjing Agricultural University, China
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS & SERVICES
- Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative (Cucumber Gene Curator, 2009 – present)
- USDA-ARS, Cucurbit Crop Germplasm Committee (CCGC) (2012 – present)
- Editor-in-Chief, Vegetable Research (2020 – 2022)
- Technical Editor: Crop Science (2021-present)
- Associate Editor: Crop Science (2015- 2021), Horticulture Plant Journal (2015- present), Journal of Integrative Agriculture (2019-2022), Theoretical and Applied Genetics (2021 – present), Agriculture Communications (2021-2022)
- Grant review panelist for USDA-SCRI, USDA-NIFA-AFRI (six times); Ad hoc reviewer of numerous proposals for USDA-NIFA, USDA-ARS (NP301), NSF, BARD, National Science Foundation of China, National Science Foundation of Czech Republic, the Volkswagen Foundation and manuscripts in professional journals; Fulbright Peer Review Committee, U.S. Department of State (2015 – 2018)
- Membership: American/International Society for Horticulture Sciences (2008 – present), Crop Science Society of America (2008 – present), American Chemical Society (2000 – present)
- Since 2009, mentored/hosted >90 lab members from six countries including high school students, undergrad and graduate students, postdoc research associates, visiting scholars including six Fulbright scholars.
GRANT AWARDS
2010-2024 Industry support ~$300,000
2024 Excellence in Research: Mechanism of plant-bacterial interactions in bacterial wilt pathosystem. NSF (1/2025 – 12/2028)
2022 Development of Minority Severing Institution (MSI) Partnership Program. UW Madison (9/2022 – 8/2024)
2022 Plant-Pathogen Interactions: Identifying Key Players in Cucumber Resistance and Pathogenesis of Bacterial Wilt. USDA (9/2022 – 8/2025)
2021 Quantitative trait loci mapping and marker-assisted pyramiding for flavor enhancing chemicals to promote cucumber consumption and industry use, USDA-NIFA (1/2021-1/2026)
2020, CucCAP2: Harnessing Genomic Resources for Disease Resistance and Management in Cucurbit Crops – Bringing the Tools to the Field. Co-PD, Cucumber team lead, USDA-NIFA-SCRI (9/2020 – 8/2024)
2018, Development of pickling cucumber inbred lines with multiple disease resistances through marker-assisted gene pyramiding. PD, Pickle Packer International Inc. (1/2018 – 12/2020)
2017, Genetic and molecular mechanisms of UVB-dependent hypocotyl elongation in cucumber. PD, USDA-NIFA-Foundation Program (2/2017 – 2/2021)
2015 CucCAP: Leveraging applied genomics for improved disease resistance in cucurbit crops. Co-PD, Cucumber team lead, USDA-SCRI-CAP (9/2015 – 8/2019)
2014 Genomics-aided Development of Introgression Lines of Cucumis hystrix for Cucumber. PD, Improvement: Focus on Alien Transfer of Disease Resistance, USDA-NIFA (Foundation Program), (9/2013 – 8/2017)
2012 Alien Transfer of Downy Mildew and Root Knot Nematode Resistances into Cucumber from Wild Relatives, USDA-ARS Research Associate Program, PI (3/2014 – 2/2016)
2012 Translational Genomics in Cucumber: Tool Development and Application for Recessive Disease Resistances, USDA-NIFA-SCRI, PI (1/2012 – 12/2015)
2010 Whole Genome Approach for Genetic Analysis in Cucumber: Fruit size as a test case, USDA-BARD, co-PI (8/2010 – 7/2013)
2008 Marker-assisted development of germplasm with multiple insect and pathogen resistance for Texas wheat improvement. PI, Texas Wheat Producers Board (9/2008 – 8/2009)
2008 Texas winter wheat breeding program. Co-PI, Texas Wheat Producers Board (9/2008 – 8/2009)
2007 Genetics and functional genomics of drought tolerance in wheat. PI, USDA-ARS Ogallala Initiative (10/2006 – 9/2009)
2007 Tortilla wheat: a system approach. Co-PI, TAES Monocot Genomics Program (9/2007 – 8/2009)
2006 Map-based cloning of a greenbug resistance gene, Gb3, in wheat. PI, USDA NRICGP (9/2006 – 8/2009)
2006 Assessment of canopy temperature depression as a selection tool for drought tolerance in wheat using infrared radiometric imager. Co-PI, USDA ARS (9/2006 – 8/2008)
2005 Multidisciplinary, collaborative research on mechanisms of greenbug resistance in wheat. PI, Texas Cropping System Program (9/2005 – 8/2007)
2005 Use of marker-assisted selection for important disease and insect resistance for Texas wheat improvement. Co-PI, Texas Cropping System Program (9/2005 – 8/2007)
2005 Identification of genes contributing to drought tolerance in wheat – a functional genomics approach. PI, USDA-ARS, Ogallala Aquifer Initiative (10/2005 – 8/2007)
2004 Identification and characterization of new sources of greenbug resistance for Texas wheat improvement. PI, Texas Wheat Producers Board (9/2005 – 8/2006)
2003 Use of marker-assisted selection for greenbug resistance in wheat breeding. PI, Texas Wheat Producers Board (9/2003 – 8/2004)
2002 Fine mapping of a greenbug resistance gene, Gb3, in wheat. PI, USDA NRI-CGP (6/2002 – 5/2004)
2001 Molecular tagging of loci conferring greenbug resistance in wheat. Co-PI, TxGrain Program (9/2001 – 8/2002)
2001 Physiological and molecular markers for selection for resistance to stress factors in wheat. Co-PI, Texas Wheat Producers Board (9/2001 – 8/2002)
2000 Marker assisted selection for pest and drought resistance in wheat. PI, Texas Wheat Producers Board (9/2000 – 8/2001)
Publications