Dr. M.A.Yousuf Akhond is the director of research at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI). Dr. Yousuf has more than 31 years of research experience at BARI. He obtained his PhD degree from University of Dundee in the United Kingdom for his research at the Scottish Crop Research Institute, and he later acquired postdoctoral research experience from Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA). He has wide experience in crop improvement research beginning with plant breeding through to different areas of plant biotechnology. His interests involve developing crops more tolerant to various stresses and taking the results of modern technology to the resource poor farmers where that is actually needed. He is responsible for planning, developing, implementing and overseeing all the research activities of BARI. Dr. Akhond was instrumental in establishing a modern biotechnology research facility at BARI and has been involved with the introduction of Bt eggplants and late-blight resistant potato in Bangladesh. His present responsibilitues also include coordinating the Feed the Future Insect-Resistant Eggplant Partnership and 3R-gene potato research and stewardship activities at BARI.