Crop production is an ever-challenged but innovative field that continues evolve and transform. This is what drove Brenden Lane to complete his bachelor’s degree in agronomy and continue on to pursue a PhD in crop disease epidemiology. Diseases have been hurting yields since the dawn of agriculture and today continue to pose major risks to global economy and food security. Currently, Brenden’s research is focused on developing deeper understandings into the mechanisms of disease development and how leading-edge technologies such as spectral sensors, aerial platforms, and GPS technology can be used to help optimize disease management efforts. Diseases can be elusive and are nothing but complex, but the science continues to advance. Brenden’s role in this is to contribute to the data-driven advancement of agriculture by gathering powerful and precise data to provide deeper insights into disease development with real world benefits to management.