Parwinder S. Grewal
Rev. 12/01/2020
Dr. Parwinder S. Grewal was born in India and received his B.S. (1981) and
M.S. (1983) from the Punjab Agricultural University. He was recognized as the
Outstanding M.S. Agricultural Sciences Student and was awarded a Gold Medal by
the University. He started his professional career as a Nematologist with the
Indian Council of Agricultural Research and worked on mushroom nematodes for 4
years.
He
was then selected for a scholarship from the Royal Commission of London for a
Ph.D. which he earned from the Imperial College, University of London in 1990.
His Ph.D. research focussed on the effects of saprophagous nematodes and their
associated bacteria on mushroom production for which he received the Young
Scientist of the Year Award by the U.K. Mushroom Growers Association.
He was appointed as a Higher Scientific Officer at the Horticultural Research Institute in Littlehampton, England where he worked with Dr. Paul Richardson. Together, they developed the first biological product based on entomopathogenic nematodes for the control of mushroom sciarid flies. This work later received the Queens Team Award for Environmental Achievement. Parwinder then joined the Rutgers University of New Jersey as a Post-doctoral Research Associate to pursue more fundamental research on entomopathogenic nematode host-finding behavior and thermal biology. In 1993, he joined Biosys Inc. as a Senior Scientist and Manager where he lead research on mass-production and formulations of entomopathogenic nematodes. In 1997, he joined the Ohio State University where he is currently an Professor of Entomology and Nematology.
As of 2009, He is the author of over 130 refereed papers, 17 book chapters, and over 40 articles in conference proceedings, grower magazines, etc. He was the lead editor of the 2005 book Nematodes as Biocontrol Agents, holds 6 patents, and as PI or Co-PI has been awarded over 11 million dollars in competitive grants.
The overall goal of Parwinder's current research program is to further expand the biological control potential of entomopathogenic nematodes. His research on nematodes truly ranges from molecule to ecosystem and it covers diverse areas of science such as ecological genetics, evolutionary biology, thermal biology, biochemical and physiological ecology, and integrated pest management. Unraveling the mechanisms of nematode longevity and stress tolerance, mechanisms of virulence, host-finding, and desiccation tolerance, are some of the more exciting examples of the fundamental research conducted in his laboratory. He has published over 75 peer-reviewed research papers, 7 book chapters, and 5 review articles on various aspects of plant and insect nematodes. He has also been instrumental in the development of the award-winning video and the web site on entomopathogenic nematodes.
Parwinder’s research on stress tolerance mechanisms has revealed fundamental aspects of nematodephysiology and biochemistry and provided critical information for determining optimal conditions for using entomopathogenic nematodes as biocontrol agents. His laboratory established reliable techniques for genetic manipulation of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and established a cDNA library for the nematode.
Parwinder is a team builder. At Ohio State, he has successfully established collaborations with his colleagues in Entomology, Horticulture and Crop Science, Plant Pathology, Natural Resources, and Agricultural Engineering on different aspects of nematode research. Currently, there are 5 Ph.D. students, 2 MS students, 5 post-doctoral fellows, and a visiting scientist are working in his laboratory.Parwinder is also very generous with his time for professional and public service. He has served as an editor of the Journal of Nematology. He is serving on the international editorial boards of Biological Control and Biocontrol Science and Technology. He has served on the Research Enhancement Advisory Committee of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, the Research Review Advisory Committee of the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation, and the USDA Research Grant Panel.
Parwinder has recently received other prestigious awards including the Lindbergh Award for Environmental Achievement and the Ohio State University Distinguished Faculty Award.
Dr Grewal received the Syngenta Award of the Society of Nematologists in 2002. The award is presented by Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc.
In 2009 he was named Fellow of the Society of Nematologists