Dr. Punya Nachappa, Wild wild west: Emerging viruses and viroid communities of hemp

April 2022

Dr. Punya Nachappa received her M.S. in Entomology from University of Georgia, and Ph.D. in Entomology from Kansas State University. After completing her Ph.D., Dr. Nachappa held positions as a post-doctoral associate at Kansas State University and Texas A&M University. Prior to joining Colorado State University (CSU), she was an Associate Professor at Purdue University Fort Wayne. As an Associate Professor at CSU, the Nachappa Lab’s research focuses on understanding the interaction between plants, pathogens, and insect vectors in cropping systems that are of importance to Colorado agriculture, including hemp plants. Topics of interest include studying the biology and pest management options of some key pests of hemp such as the hemp russet mite and cannabis aphid and the ecology and epidemiology of the beet curly top virus (BCTV) and beet leafhopper in hemp. The lab is using hemp viral metagenomics to characterize the diversity of viruses/viroids in hemp.

Dr. Punya Nachappa, Wild wild west: Emerging viruses and viroid communities of hemp

Previous Webinars

Marguerite Bolt, MS

Sep 17, 2025 11:00 AM MST

Bugs on Buds Pest Management in Cannabis

Marguerite Bolt is the Hemp Extension Specialist in the Department of Agronomy. Marguerite received her M.S. in Entomology from Purdue University, and her B.S. in Entomology from Michigan State University. She has aided in the development of pest management resources for hemp growers in […]

Read More »

Todd P. Michael, Ph.D.

20 August 2025, 11 AM MST

The Cannabis pangenome

Todd Michael, Ph.D. is a Research Professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, an Adjunct Professor at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and Chief Science Officer at the San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG). His research group focuses on leveraging advanced sequencing technologies and informatics to […]

Read More »

Kent E. Vrana, PhD, FAAAS, FASPET

14 August, 2025 1 PM MST

Minor Cannabinoids for Pain and Emerging Concerns with Unregulated Cannabinoids

https://youtu.be/bdRiQXXwOzQ

Dr. Kent Vrana is the Elliot S. Vesell Professor of Pharmacology (Chair Emeritus) in the Department of Molecular and Precision Medicine at the Penn State College of Medicine. He has a BS from the University of Iowa and a PhD from […]

Read More »

Rachel Tomko, PhD.

10 July, 2025, 1 PM MST 

Understanding Young Adults’ Cannabis Use and Craving in Naturalistic Settings: Insights from Ecological Momentary Assessment 

Dr. Rachel Tomko is an Associate Professor in the Addiction Sciences Division at MUSC’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and a licensed clinical psychologist. Her research focuses on how individual and sex-related factors influence cannabis […]

Read More »

Cynthia Ocamb, PhD.

July 16, 2025, 11 AM MST

Cynthia Ocamb is a professor in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Oregon State University, based in Corvallis, OR. Ocamb provides statewide leadership in the diagnosis and management of diseases of field and vegetable crops as an Extension specialist in plant pathology. She is a co-editor of the […]

Read More »

Carolina Corredor, PhD.

June 18, 2025, 11:00AM MST

Carolina Corredor, Ph.D. in Agroecology and Agricultural Microbiologist, specializes in cannabis cultivation, plant physiology, plant–microbe interactions, and seed viability. With over six years of teaching experience in biology and microbiology, her research focuses on optimizing sustainable cannabis production for cannabinoids, fiber, and grain. As a Visiting Research Scholar and Postdoctoral Researcher, […]

Read More »