Dr. Louis Bengyella joined Dr. Amiri’s team in January. Major pre- and post-harvest diseases of apple and pear lead to heavy economic losses worldwide and particularly in Washington State. Dr. Bengyella aims at integrating strategic measures for durable and sustainable management of gray mold diseases of apple and pear via careful decryption of the population structure and genetics of the prevailing Botrytis cinerea in orchards of Washington State, USA.