Lela Susilawati, S.Pd., M. Si., a lecturer in Biology Study Program, Faculty of Science and Technology, UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, earned her Ph.D., (S3) in Microbiology from the Biological Production Science Department, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan. She is a recipient of the 5,000 Doctoral program scholarship from the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia. She has successfully completed her doctoral studies and dissertation research within 3.5 years.

Her research focused on plant pathology with her entitled dissertation thesis "Antifungal and Biocontrol Activities of Bacteria Isolated from Japanese Frog Skin Against Plant Pathogenic Fungi” under the supervision of Professor Tsutomu Arie. Lela Susilawati has successfully defended her doctoral dissertation in front of the professors of the examination team.

To the university's public relations staff, 19/1/2021, Lela Susilawati explained about her significant research via WhatsApp, she said that all living things including amphibians cannot be separated from associating with bacterial communities. She worked specifically on bacterial communities on frog skin from Japan. These bacterial floras can play an important role in protecting frog skin from pathogenic invasion such as fungi, viruses, and bacteria. In return, frog skin provides nutrients for bacterial growth. Moreover, these bacterial communities can also stimulate the production of some remarkable bioactive substances with many potent functions, such as antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidant, etc.

In the future, she plans for making academic collaborations and the possibility of having a collaborative project to strengthen her significant research on plant pathology and its contribution especially on agriculture and another field.

Meanwhile, in an effort to develop research at the Faculty of Science and Technology UIN Sunan Kalijaga, after returning from her studies in Japan, Lela was determined to maximize laboratory facilities that could support the development of her research and also encourage her students to be involved in her research project. (IO/Editor:Nurul)