Maciej Kaczmarek

Dr Maciej Kaczmarek is an Impact Officer at the Plant Health Centre and Lecturer in Plant Pathology at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), based in Edinburgh. With over a decade of experience spanning plant pathology, environmental microbiology, and agricultural diagnostics, their work focuses on improving crop health and sustainability through applied research, diagnostics, and stakeholder engagement.

Until 2024, Dr Kaczmarek led the Crop and Soil Diagnostics team, providing pest and disease diagnostic services that support the Scottish agricultural sector. His teaching portfolio covers fundamental and applied plant pathology, microbiology and use of integrated crop management strategies for improved sustainability and resilience for agricultural sector. This curriculum is delivered to undergraduate and postgraduate students at SRUC and the University of Edinburgh. In their concurrent role at the Plant Health Centre, they help translate scientific evidence into practical policy and industry impact, fostering collaboration across Scotland’s plant health community.

Prior to joining SRUC, Dr Kaczmarek lectured Environmental Microbiology courses at Edinburgh Napier University, where they led MSc and final-year undergraduate modules in cell technology and microbial biotechnology. Their earlier postdoctoral research career included work at Forest Research on the population genomics of bacterial communities associated with acute oak decline and as a Research Fellow at Edinburgh Napier University where he played an instrumental role in an Innovate UK and Government of India–funded consortium investigating novel antimicrobial technologies for fresh produce preservation.

Dr Kaczmarek holds a PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of Edinburgh, where their doctoral research explored the infection biology and life cycle of Ramularia collo-cygni, a significant pathogen of barley. They also hold an MRes in Crop and Environmental Science from the University of Dundee, where they studied the infection characteristics and genetic transformation of Phytophthora infestans, the potato late blight pathogen.

Their research and teaching continue to bridge science and practice, advancing sustainable solutions for plant health and food security in the UK and beyond.