John Matthew McDowell: A Visionary Leader in Molecular Oomycete - Plant Interactions and a Wonderful Mentor and Friend to Many

Authors: ANDERSON, RYAN - Syngenta Crop Protection; CHANG, JEFF - Oregon State University; DANGL, JEFFERY - University Of North Carolina; KINKELOO, KASIA - University Of Texas At Austin; DONOFRIO, NICHOLE - University Of Delaware; EULGEM, THOMAS - University Of California, Riverside; Grunwald, Niklaus; LONG, TERRI - North Carolina State University; MUKHTAR, M - Clemson University; SONAWALI, UNNATI - University Of Cambridge; GUILLAUME, PILOT - Virginia Tech; SHERIF, SHERIF - Virginia Tech; MAHMUT, TOR - University Of Worcester; WINKEL, BRENDA - Virginia Tech; VINATZER, BORIS - Virginia Tech

Submitted to: Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/17/2025
Publication Date: 7/23/2025
Citation: Anderson, R.G., Chang, J.H., Dangl, J.L., Kinkeloo, K., Donofrio, N., Eulgem, T., Grunwald, N.J., Long, T., Mukhtar, M.S., Sonawali, U., Guillaume, P., Sherif, S.M., Mahmut, T., Winkel, B., Vinatzer, B.A. 2025. John Matthew McDowell: A Visionary Leader in Molecular Oomycete - Plant Interactions and a Wonderful Mentor and Friend to Many. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions. https://doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-06-25-0072-LE.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-06-25-0072-LE

Interpretive Summary: John M. McDowell, a leader in the field of plant pathology, friend and colleague of many scientists in our community, and a dedicated member of the International Society of Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, passed away in December 2024. John was known to many, not just because of his own seminal scientific discoveries, but because of his ability to synthesize the progress made in the field of plant pathology, and in particular, the interplay between pathogens and the plant immune system, which led to many outstanding reviews. His ability to zoom out from minute details to the big picture also made him an effective mentor, teacher, editor in chief, program director of the National Science Foundation, and a great colleague, who would always be ready to ask the illuminating questions that helped you in deciding where to direct future efforts or provide sensitive hypotheses to test next. And in whatever he did, in whatever situation he was, he was always supportive, encouraging, lifting people up, and making them feel good about themselves and getting everybody even more excited about the research they were doing. He was the most even-keeled, kind-hearted person, an example to all of how to be better - not just as a scientist but as a human.

Technical Abstract: John M. McDowell, a leader in the field of molecular plant-microbe interactions, friend and colleague of many scientists in the molecular plant-microbe community, and a dedicated member of the International Society of Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, passed away in December 2024. John was known to many, not just because of his own seminal scientific discoveries, but because of his ability to synthesize the progress made in the field of molecular plant-microbe interactions, and in particular, the interplay between oomycete pathogens and the plant immune system, which led to many outstanding reviews. His ability to zoom out from minute details to the big picture also made him an effective mentor, teacher, editor in chief of the MPMI journal, NSF program director, and a great colleague, who would always be ready to ask the illuminating questions that helped you in deciding where to direct future efforts or provide sensitive hypotheses to test next. And in whatever he did, in whatever situation he was, he was always supportive, encouraging, lifting people up, and making them feel good about themselves and getting everybody even more excited about the research they were doing. He was the most even-keeled, kind-hearted person, an example to all of how to be better - not just as a scientist but as a human.