Walid Sadok
Senior Fellow 2023–2024

Walid Sadok is a crop scientist working on improving crop adaptation to drought and high temperature stresses under current and future climate scenarios. The specific aim of his research program is to identify novel crop traits that can be used in breeding programs to improve global food security. A particular emphasis is given to staple crops such as wheat grown in water-limited environments across the globe. His research program at the University of Minnesota leverages concepts in plant biology, agronomy, functional ecology, breeding, and climate science. Recent research has shown the promising potential of water-saving traits in improving crop adaptation to rising atmospheric drying under current and future climates.

Walid received his PhD from Montpellier SupAgro in France. His doctoral thesis bridged the gap between plant eco-physiology and breeding, leading to the development of the first phenotyping platform to screen for water-saving traits in crops. He held two postdoctoral positions, one at AgroParisTech in France and another at the University of Florida, where he contributed to designing new sustainable farming practices and drought-tolerant crop varieties.