Valerien Pede
Senior Scientist - Agricultural Economics
Dr. Valerien Pede is a senior agricultural economist and policy expert specializing in sustainable agricultural development, with a particular focus on rice-based systems. He currently serves as Head of the Transformative Policies and Investments...
Van Schepler-Luu
Scientist II - Plant Pathology and Host Plant Resistance
Van leads the Plant Pathology and Host Plant Resistance Group. Her group works on multiple bacterial, fungal, and viral diseases of rice and aims to discover new resistance genes for improving the rice plant’s ability to withstand devastating...
Venuprasad Ramaiah
Research Unit Leader - Fit-for-Future Genetic Resources
Venu joined IRRI in 2018. He currently leads the Fit-for-Future Genetic Resources cluster which aims to create and deliver the knowledge, material, and tools required to enable users of genetic resources to take full advantage of the naturally...
Vikram Patil
Scientist I - Agricultural Economics, Inclusive Markets & Value Chains Research
Vikram has been with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) since 2017, working as a Scientist in Agricultural Economics. His research focuses on rice value chain development and economic sustainability, with particular emphasis on carbon...
Virender Kumar
Research Director – Sustainable Impact through Rice-based Systems, Principal Scientist- Weed Science/Systems Agronomy
Dr. Virender Kumar is a Principal Scientist at IRRI specializing in Weed Science and Systems Agronomy. He leads the Climate-resilient Farming Systems Unit and coordinates the Direct-Seeded Rice Consortium. His research focuses on sustainable weed...
Xiaoming Zheng
Country Representative and Liaison Scientist for China
Yvonne Pinto
Director General
Dr. Yvonne Pinto is the Director General of IRRI, where she provides strategic leadership to advance resilient, sustainable, and inclusive rice-based food systems. She led the development of IRRI's 2025–2030 Strategy and guides the Institute's...