Dr. Md. Motaher Hossain
Professor
Telephone: +88029205310-14, Extension-2250
Cell: +8801917043506
E-mail: hossainmm@gau.edu.bd
Website: https://gau.edu.bd/motaher
Dr. Hossain is a Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at Gazipur Agricultural University (formerly BSMRAU), Bangladesh. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and MS in Plant Pathology from Bangladesh Agricultural University. Following his MS, he began his academic career as a Lecturer in the Department of Plant Pathology at Gazipur Agricultural University.
Dr. Hossain later received the prestigious MONBUKAGAKUSHO (MEXT) Fellowship to pursue higher studies at Gifu University, Japan, where he earned his second MS and PhD in Plant Pathology. After completing his doctoral studies, he served as a Researcher in the Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences at Gifu University until March 2009.
In 2009, Dr. Hossain returned to Bangladesh and joined the College of Agricultural Sciences at the International University of Business Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT) as an Assistant Professor. In 2010, he rejoined Gazipur Agricultural University as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology, where he continues to serve.
Dr. Hossain has been awarded the JIRCAS Visiting Fellowship twice (2012–2013 and 2013–2014), during which he conducted postdoctoral research on molecular breeding for soybean rust resistance at the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS). More recently, he completed another postdoctoral research program under the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) at JIRCAS during 2024–2025.
He is actively engaged in both teaching and research. At the graduate level, he teaches courses such as PLP 603: Molecular Plant Pathology, PLP 531: Plant Virology, and PLP 502: Epidemiology and Plant Disease Control. At the undergraduate level, he has taught PLP 390: Diseases of Horticultural and Plantation Crops.
Dr. Hossain’s research focuses on the impacts of climate change on crop disease dynamics, sustainable disease management using green nanotechnology and bio-based elicitors, and molecular breeding for disease resistance. He is a leading researcher in the biology and applications of plant growth-promoting fungi (PGPF) and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) for enhancing plant growth and tolerance to biotic stresses. His current research also includes the characterization of seaweed resources in Bangladesh for agricultural applications.
He is actively working on soybean rust resistance, including the development and evaluation of pyramided lines against highly virulent pathogen populations. Dr. Hossain has reported several new plant diseases in Bangladesh, including white mold in various crops and web blight of country bean. Recently, his research group reported the occurrence of Potato Virus V in South Asia. In recognition of his research contributions, he was listed among the Stanford University/Elsevier World’s Top 2% Scientists in 2025.
Under his supervision, one PhD and 21 MS students have successfully completed their degrees. Currently, he supervises 12 MS and 1 PhD students conducting research in his laboratory.
Dr. Hossain is a member of several professional organizations, including the Bangladesh Phytopathological Society, Bangladesh Association for the Advancement of Science, Global Network of Bangladeshi Biotechnologists (GNOB), One Health Bangladesh and Krishibid Institution Bangladesh. He also serves as an Associate Editor of Frontiers in Microbiology and as an Editorial Board Member of Discover Agriculture, Online Journal of Biological Sciences, and the Bangladesh Journal of Plant Pathology.
For more details about his research interests, please follow the link.
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=5cDXVH4AAAAJ&hl=en
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Md_Hossain40