Shawkat Ali joined AAFC Kentville as a Research Scientist in Plant Pathology in 2017. Dr. Ali's research program is focused on diseases of tree fruits and small fruits and is currently working on projects on apple summer disease, apple sudden death, and apple replant disease. Dr. Ali received his Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture with a major in Horticulture and a Master's in Biotechnology. Dr. Ali did his Ph. D in 2011 in Plant Pathology at the University of British Columbia Vancouver and completed his Ph. D research at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Summerland where he worked on the fungal pathogen that causes disease in barley. After completing his Ph.D, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Sherbrooke where he worked on potato cyst nematode. Dr. Ali also worked as a Visiting Scientist at Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Research and Development Centre, Québec. He did his third postdoc at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia, He also worked as a short-term visiting Scientist at the Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Potsdam, Germany, and at the Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, the University of Edinburgh, UK. He published his research work in more than 40 prestigious international journals and presented his work at several international Conferences and Scientific meetings.