Harshita Saxena

Vice-President

Harshita Saxena is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Kentucky. Her research explores the genetic and molecular basis of host–pathogen interactions in cereal and forest systems, focusing on fungal diseases such as Gibberella ear rot, Fusarium head blight, brown spot needle blight, and fusiform rust. She integrates plant pathology, molecular biology, genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics to study pathogen biology and population dynamics. She earned her Ph.D. in Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics from the University of Georgia in Spring 2025, where she collaborated with the International Rice Research Institute. Beyond research, Saxena has held multiple leadership roles, including serving as President of the UGA Griffin Ambassadors. In her free time, she enjoys movies, adventure activities, dancing, singing, and playing the ukulele.