Ahmad M. Alqudah is an Assistant Professor in Plant Biology, Molecular Genetics, and Bioinformatics at Qatar University. He received a BSc in 2005 and then an MSc in Field Crops Production (Agronomy) focused on abiotic stress physiology from Jordan University of Science and Technology (Jordan) in 2007. In 2015, he completed his Ph.D. in Plant Breeding and Genetics from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (Germany). The Ph.D. project was conducted at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) in Gatersleben, Germany. Then, he worked as a full-time postdoctoral researcher and scientist in different research groups specializing in cereal genetics at IPK Gatersleben (Germany) till 2020. His projects aimed to understand the underlying molecular genetic factors of agronomic, developmental, adaptive, and grain yield-related traits in wheat and barley.

In 2020, he was appointed as a full-time postdoctoral associate at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (Germany), where he was deeply involved in genetics analyses and building genetic haplotype blocks.

In 2021, he was awarded a grant for his project to do gene editing using the latest plant molecular technologies, including CRISPR-Cas, from the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The project was hosted by Aarhus University, Denmark’s crop genetics and biotechnology section. Soon after, he was appointed tenure-track assistant professor in crop genetics and biotechnology at Aarhus University. Recently, he became an assistant professor of plant molecular genetics at Qatar University.

Dr. Alqudah’s research extensively utilizes Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies, such as Genotyping-by-Sequencing and RNA-Seq, and advanced bioinformatics skills for OMICs. His work focuses on QTL mapping, GWAS, gene identification, and characterization. Additionally, he is proficient in plant molecular techniques, including gene cloning and gene editing, significantly contributing to plant molecular genetics. He applies NGS in different approaches, such as DNA barcoding, which enables rapid and precise species identification by sequencing short genetic markers. In metagenomics, NGS identifies species in environmental samples without isolation, revealing specific community diversity. Also, he used his skills in population genetics by studying genetic variation, aiding conservation by identifying distinct populations and assessing genetic diversity. He used the NGS in phylogenetics, phylogenomics, and evolutionary studies to leverage NGS for large-scale genomic data to understand speciation and adaptation. NGS enhances ecological and functional diversity analysis, offering insights into adaptation mechanisms and interaction. He intensively applied NGS to identify genetic markers for traits crucial for species diversity and monitors endangered species. He uses NGS for environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis to detect species and explore the diversity and roles in ecological interactions.

Throughout his career, he gained extensive experience in teaching undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctorate students. He also was involved in mentoring and supervising master’s and Ph.D. students in addition to the postdocs. He demonstrated his excellent knowledge in leading/managing projects and developing fruitful international collaborations.

Dr. Alqudah is a peer reviewer in more than 20 high-ranking journals including, Plant physiology, New Phytologist, Nature Communication Biology, Nature communications, The plant journal, Theoretical and applied genetics, Frontiers in Plant Science, Frontiers in Genetics, BMC Genomics, BMC Plant Biology, Genes, International Journal of Molecular Sciences and Molecular Plant.

He is also an associate editor & editorial board member in Nature Scientific Reports, BMC Plant Biology, Frontiers in Plant Science, Genetics, Cereal Research Communications, and Agronomy.

Dr. Alqudah has more than 95 peer-reviewed research papers, reviews, and book chapters