Luis Antonio DIAZ-GARCIA

Luis A. Diaz-Garcia, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor and Grape Breeder in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California, Davis. He leads the UC Davis wine grape and rootstock breeding program, succeeding Dr. Andrew Walker. Dr. Diaz-Garcia integrates genomics, phenomics, and high-throughput technologies to accelerate the development of climate-resilient grape cultivars.

His research focuses on breeding wine grapes with durable resistance to powdery mildew and Pierce’s disease, as well as developing rootstocks tolerant to drought, salinity, boron toxicity, and nematodes.

By leveraging the genetic diversity of Vitis species and applying genomic prediction, AI-powered phenotyping, and modern data pipelines, his lab is modernizing grape breeding to address long-term climate and production challenges.

Before joining UC Davis, Dr. Diaz-Garcia worked as a research scientist at INIFAP in Mexico, where he developed genomics-assisted breeding programs in guava and other crops. He earned his Ph.D. in Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

His program collaborates closely with industry partners and national research initiatives to deliver improved scion and rootstock varieties for sustainable viticulture.