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Education:

In Progress	Ph.D., Auburn University (Entomology and Plant Pathology)
2005	M.S., Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia (Plant Pathology)
1999	B.S., Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia (Microbiology)

Research & Professional Experience:

2007-Present	Graduate Research Assistant. Doctoral research in Plant Virology with Dr. John F. Murphy. Auburn University
February-December 2006	Research Associate with Dr. Carmenza Góngora, Colombia National Coffee Research Centre, CENICAFE. Chinchiná (Caldas) Colombia.
2002-2006	Research Fellow with Dr. Rafael Arango Isaza in Plant Biotechnology. Corporation for Biological Research, CIB. Medellín, Colombia.

Ongoing Research

My research focuses on resistance of pepper to Potyviruses. I am evaluating the resistance of three cultivars of pepper (Dempsey, PI159234 (aka CA4) and Avelar) to seven Potyviruses (PVY-NN, PepMoV-CA, PepMoV-FL and TEV strains HAT, N, NW and Mex21) at the whole plant and cellular levels with quantification of virus replication using strand-specific real time RT-PCR.

Awards

• 2010 - Outstanding Ph.D. student in Plant Pathology, Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, Auburn University
• 2005 - Meritorious MSc Thesis Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Diagnosis of Cymbidium Mosaic Potexvirus (CMV) and Odontoglossum Ringspot Tobamovirus (ORSV) using ELISA and RT-PCR

Research Articles

• Coneva, E.,Murphy, J.F., Boozer, R., and, Velásquez N. 2010. Incidence and distribution of in blackberry (Rubus sp.) in Alabama. International Journal of Fruit Science 10:87-95.
• Valderrama, AM, Velásquez N, Rodriguez E, Zapata A, Zaidi MA, Altosaar I, and Arango R. 2007. Resistance to Tecia solanivora (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in three transgenic andean varieties of potato expressing Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ac Protein. J. Econ. Entomol. 100(1): 172-179
• Velásquez N., Rodriguez, E and Arango R. 2005 ELISA and RT-PCR for diagnosis of two major viruses affecting orchids. Fitopatología 40(3):161-169.

Disease Notes

Coneva E, Murphy JF, Boozer R and Velásquez N. 2008. First report of Tobacco ringspot virus in Blackbery (Rubus sp.) in Alabama. Plant Disease 92(12):1708

Books

Velásquez N, Rodriguez E, Arango R., El Virus del Mosaico del Cymbidium, el virus de la Mancha anular del Odontoglossum y su control. En: Colombia 2005. ed:Digital Express ISBN: 958-9400-89-2 v. 500 pags. 20