Dr. Nian Wang is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Cell Science at the Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida. He is a recipient of the AAAS fellow (2023), Highly Cited Researcher by Web of Science (2022), Invention of the Year (2022, UF), Ruth Allen Award (2020, American Phytopathological Society (APS)), UF Term Professorship award (2018), UF Research Foundation Professorship award (2016), and Hewitt Award (2010, APS). He received his Ph.D. degree under the guidance of Dr. Dennis Gross at Texas A&M University, conducted postdoctoral research under the supervision of Dr. Steven E. Lindow at UC, Berkeley. His research interests include genetic determinants and the signaling pathway underlying Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus-triggered immune disease-citrus Huanglongbing, transcriptional activator-like effectors of Xanthomonas citri and canker susceptibility gene, and CRISPR genome editing of citrus, and citrus HLB and canker management. He was recently awarded a USDA NIFA CAP grant for development and delivery of HLB disease management approaches, which was also approved as a USDA NIFA Center of Excellence. He has served as the chair of 15 Ph.D. graduate supervisory committees. He has published more than 120 refereed papers. He has served as Chair of the Bacteriology Committee of APS, and Chair of Pierce's Disease Research Scientific Advisory Panel. He currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of Phytopathology.