Sonia has a PhD in microbiology and is currently a senior postdoctoral molecular bacteriologist at the James Hutton Institute in Dundee. Sonia investigates diseases caused by enterobacterial plant pathogens, focusing on Pectobacterium and Dickeya species which cause blackleg a soft rot diseases of potato.  Her research focuses on improving the understanding of the biology and disease epidemiology of these bacterial pathogens and increasing the understanding of host resistance mechanisms.  She has been involved in organising a number of events and was one of the main organisers of the EAPR pathology and pests section meeting held in Dundee in 2016.