Plant form and function have continually and increasingly fascinated me since my first plant biology class in college. The more I learn about the genetic, molecular, and physiological mechanisms underlying their development and response to the environment, the more intrigued I am to explore these questions further.
In recent years, my research has broadly focused on asking how environmental and endogenous signals interact to shape developmental and physiological processes. Currently, I am starting a new position as a Research Geneticist with USDA-ARS in Wenatchee, WA, where I will apply my skills and experience to research questions in pear genetics.
With my graduate school training in basic science, using yeast synthetic biology and Arabidopsis development to study plant hormones, and my postdoctoral work focused on developmental biology and physiology in fruit trees, I am very excited to work at the intersection of basic and applied sciences. I will work to combine findings from basic research in model systems with horticultural experimental findings to address the ever-changing challenges we face in agriculture.
With my graduate school training in basic science, using yeast synthetic biology and Arabidopsis development to study plant hormones, and my postdoctoral work focused on developmental biology and physiology in fruit trees, I am very excited to work at the intersection of basic and applied sciences. I will work to combine findings from basic research in model systems with horticultural experimental findings to address the ever-changing challenges we face in agriculture.
I just recently finished as a Postdoctoral Researcher position in the lab of Dr. Lee Kalcsits at Washington State University’s Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center in Wenatchee, WA, where I studied physiological fruit disorders, specifically the development and prevention of sunburn on apple fruit. I researched the molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying heat stress and acclimation, to develop tools to manage sunburn in Washington State orchards.
Previously, I was a Postdoctoral Research Molecular Biologist at the USDA-ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station in Kearneysville, WV, working with Dr. Chris Dardick in the Genetic Improvement group. I studied how a family of genes, the IGT gene family, influences the overall shape of plants, specifically the angle at which shoot and roots grow. I became additionally interested in how environmental signals, like light and temperature, influence these genes and their role in plant architecture.
I received my Ph.D. from the University of Washington where I studied the role of auxin signaling dynamics in Dr. Jennifer Nemhauser’s lab. Auxin, a plant hormone that is involved in nearly every aspect of plant biology, uses a specific set of proteins to carry out it’s signal. There are many variants of these proteins that work at different rates and in different contexts. My work helped show that these rates are important for developmental processes, such as the rate of root development.
Previously, I was a Postdoctoral Research Molecular Biologist at the USDA-ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station in Kearneysville, WV, working with Dr. Chris Dardick in the Genetic Improvement group. I studied how a family of genes, the IGT gene family, influences the overall shape of plants, specifically the angle at which shoot and roots grow. I became additionally interested in how environmental signals, like light and temperature, influence these genes and their role in plant architecture.
I received my Ph.D. from the University of Washington where I studied the role of auxin signaling dynamics in Dr. Jennifer Nemhauser’s lab. Auxin, a plant hormone that is involved in nearly every aspect of plant biology, uses a specific set of proteins to carry out it’s signal. There are many variants of these proteins that work at different rates and in different contexts. My work helped show that these rates are important for developmental processes, such as the rate of root development.
WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center
Photo from http://tfrec.cahnrs.wsu.edu |
USDA-ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station
Photo credit: Dr. Amy Tabb |
University of Washington, Hitchcock Hall
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