Daniela Vergara, Ph.D., is an evolutionary biologist, educator, data analyst, scientific writer, and public speaker who serves as the president of the Agricultural Genomics Foundation. Dr. Vergara founded AGF with the intention of advancing the study of cannabis and hemp to further the public’s understanding of these plants’ medicinal, industrial, and commercial value. 

Dr. Vergara serves as the ‘Emerging Crop Specialist’ at Cornell University’s Harvest New York Extension Team, where she helps hemp farmers with their crops and educates students who are interested in the hemp industry, too. She is also an international policy consultant and advisor who has worked with several companies throughout the U.S. and Latin America. 

Additionally, Dr. Vergara has published several groundbreaking studies on cannabis, including a study that compared the cannabinoid profile of federally grown cannabis to the cannabinoids found in samples from retail stores. Her findings from this study were featured in several large news publications, including The Atlantic, Science, and FiveThirtyEight. More recently, Dr. Vergara published another study that compared the genome of federally grown cannabis crops to the genome of cannabis samples from retail stores. 

Through the Agricultural Genomics Foundation, Dr. Vergara shares essential educational materials related to cannabis science, evolutionary biology, and genomics.

Anna Schwabe, Ph.D., is a researcher, educator, cannabis geneticist, biologist, and executive board member of the Agricultural Genomics Foundation. Dr. Schwabe graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a BS, MS, and Ph.D. She was awarded the Dean’s Citation of Excellence and the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Dissertation for her research evaluating the genotypic and phenotypic variation in cannabis. 

Dr. Schwabe is also an Associate Lecture Professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she teaches educational courses on cannabis biology. Furthermore, Dr. Schwabe serves as the Director of Education and Research at Shore Organics. She is certified as a botanical illustrator and judge for juried exhibitions, too. 

Throughout her career, Dr. Schwabe has published several research papers that have shaped the scientific community’s understanding of cannabis genetics, conservation, and education. 

Dr. Schwabe conducted several studies that show that cannabis of the same strain names from different sources vary in genetic identity and that “research-grade marijuana” from the University of Mississippi more closely resembles hemp than it does retail-grade cannabis products. Her research has also highlighted the disparities between the amount of THC listed on a product’s packaging versus how much THC is actually within the flower. These findings are imperative to advancing scientific research on cannabis and improving medical cannabis product development. Dr. Schwabe’s work has been featured in articles by several news outlets and podcasts, as well.

Through AGF, Dr. Schwabe educates the public on the essentials for entering the cannabis industry, whether the individual is a student or a professional within the space. Her findings as a researcher and her teachings as a professor both foster a more educated and informed cannabis industry.