Mr. Washington da Silva is PhD Student in Plant Pathology at Department of Plant Pathology and Plant­ Microbe Biology, Cornell University, America. He has completed his M.S. in Plant Pathology from Louisiana State University, USA. Previously he was worked as Research Assistant at Laboratory of Host-Pa rasite Interaction­ Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Brazil, and Laboratory of Ecology and Social Insects­ Federal de Vicosa, Brazil. Mr. Washington received honors includes National Potato Council Scholarship, and Louisiana State University Graduate School Student Travel Award. Currently he is serving as Vice President at Plant Pathology Graduate Student Association, and Student Representative of the Courses and Cnrricttlum Committee, Cornell University. He is member of American Phytopathological Society, Sociedade Brasileira de Fitopatologia, and International Union for the Study of Social Insects, the honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, and Who’s Who among Students in American Universities and Colleges, and the Golden Key International Honor Society. His work focuses on Potato Virus Y (PVY), the major Virus Pathogen of Potatoes (Solanum Tuberosum), he is interested in the structure of Genetic Diversity in PVY populations among vertical and Horizontal Transmission modes over time, identify Molecular Markers in Potato linked to Genes correlated with the expression of Potato Tuber Necrotic Ringspot Disease (PTNRD), a Tuber Deformity Associated with infections by Necrotic Strains of PVY. He has published 15 research articles in journals, 10 conference presentations and abstracts contributed as author/co-author.