Manoj Sapkota

I’m an Assistant Professor of Horticultural Crop Breeding for Nutrition in the Department of Horticulture at the University of Kentucky. My research group—The Sapkota Lab—is dedicated to blending the best of traditional plant breeding with the latest innovations in molecular biology, genomics, metabolomics, bioinformatics, machine learning, and AI. Our mission is to develop improved horticultural crop varieties that are not only high-yielding and disease-resistant but also packed with better flavor and enhanced nutritional value—helping to meet the evolving needs of Kentucky growers and consumers while contributing to food security on a global scale.

Before joining UK, I worked as a Genomics Postdoctoral Associate at Breeding Insight, Cornell University, where I collaborated with USDA breeders on a range of specialty crops. My work focused on developing marker panels, exploring genetic diversity, QTL mapping, genome-wide association studies, genomic selection, and bioinformatics-driven breeding strategies. I earned my Ph.D. in Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics from the University of Georgia, where I was part of the van der Knaap Lab, studying the genetic and molecular basis of fruit weight, shape, size, and flavor volatiles in tomatoes. Prior to that, I served as a research technician at CIMMYT-Nepal and completed my undergraduate degree in Agriculture (Plant Breeding) at the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Sciences, Tribhuvan University in Nepal.

With several years of experience in plant breeding, genetics, bioinformatics, statistics, and molecular breeding, I'm passionate about harnessing cutting-edge science to create crops that are better for farmers, consumers, and the planet.