Headshot of Zamir Punja

Zamir Punja, PhD
Professor of Plant Biotechnology
Simon Fraser University
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
CULTIVATION

BIO
Zamir completed a BSc degree in Plant Sciences at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, followed by MSc and PhD degrees in plant pathology from the University of California, Davis. He then joined the Campbell Soup Company and worked jointly with North Carolina State University in Raleigh on management of carrot diseases. He was appointed Manager of Plant Biotechnology research for Campbell’s in Davis, California to develop innovative methods for crop improvement. Zamir joined Simon Fraser University in 1989 as Associate Professor and was promoted to Professor in 1996. His research interests include the etiology and management of plant diseases on vegetable and horticultural crops, and the applications of plant biotechnology for disease management. His lab was the first to develop genetically-modified carrot, hemp and ginseng plants. He has worked closely with a number of industries, including greenhouse vegetables, ginseng, blueberry and wasabi. More recently, his work has shifted to cannabis. His group has described a range of previously unreported pathogens affecting the crop and various methods for disease management have been evaluated. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Phytopathological Society. Zamir has received numerous research and teaching awards, including the Sterling Prize for Controversy for his work on GMO foods. He was Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology for 18 years. His research has been funded jointly by NSERC (Discovery, Strategic and CRD’s) and various industry partners. Zamir’s research group currently focuses on cannabis pathology and methods to improve quality of greenhouse-grown cannabis. More recently, the research conducted by his lab. has focused on developing a better understanding of Hop latent viroid and the impact on cannabis plants.

View CannMed Resources Below:

Featured image for “Inside the Cannabis Microbiome with Zamir Punja, PhD”
Apr. 30, 2025

Inside the Cannabis Microbiome with Zamir Punja, PhD

Featured image for “Managing Total Yeast and Mold with Zamir Punja, PhD”
Aug. 02, 2023

Managing Total Yeast and Mold with Zamir Punja, PhD

Featured image for “Preventing and Eliminating Hop Latent Viroid from Cannabis with Zamir Punja, PhD”
Jul. 19, 2023

Preventing and Eliminating Hop Latent Viroid from Cannabis with Zamir Punja, PhD

Featured image for “Pathogens Affecting Cannabis Plants with Zamir Punja, PhD”
Sep. 02, 2020

Pathogens Affecting Cannabis Plants with Zamir Punja, PhD

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