Faculty and Research | Interdepartmental Genetics

Faculty

	Eduard Akhunov Plant Pathology, Professor Ph.D. 1999, Institute of Genetics, Russia. Wheat genomics and genetics, plant population genetics and molecular evolution of grass genomes, evolution of polyploid plants, genomics of adaptation to environmental stressors.
	Alina Akhunova Plant Pathology, Research Professor Ph.D. 1998, St. Petersburg State University, Russia. Genomics.
	Guihua Bai Agronomy, Adjunct Professor Ph.D. 1995, Purdue University. Wheat molecular mapping, molecular marker-assisted breeding, and gene expression profiling using microarrays with an emphasis on wheat resistance to Fusarium head blight, leaf rust, and aluminum toxicity.
	Nora Bello Statistics, Professor Ph.D. 2010, Michigan State University. Statistical genetics and genomics. Development and application of statistical models to problems in agriculture and biology. Generalized linear mixed models. Hierarchical Bayesian models. Heterogeneity of variances and covariances. Multivariate linear models.
	Jennifer Bormann Animal Sciences & Industry, Professor Ph.D. 2004, Iowa State University. Applied genetics of livestock; genetic relationships between economically important traits; genetics of efficiency, reproduction, and health in beef cattle; integration of genomics into selection programs.
	Susan J. Brown Biology, Distinguished Professor Ph.D. 1984, University of Missouri. Developmental genetics of model insects, especially the flour beetle Tribolium. Research Lab
	Ming-Shun Chen USDA-ARS & Entomology, Adjunct Faculty Ph.D. 1991, Kansas State University. Molecular genetics of insect parasites of plants. Functions of secreted proteins from salivary glands of the Hessian fly parasite of wheat. Research Lab
	Rollie J. Clem Biology, Professor Ph.D. 1994, University of Georgia. Mechanisms by which apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is regulated at the molecular level. The function of apoptosis in antiviral defense and the methods by which viruses are able to manipulate apoptosis in their host cells for their own benefit.
	David E. Cook Plant Pathology, Assistant Professor Ph.D. 2013, University of Wisconsin, Madison. Molecular plant-fungal interactions; epigenetics and genome evolution in plant pathogens; CRISPR-Cas development in plants and microbes.
	Timothy Durrett Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, Associate Professor Ph.D. 2006, University of Missouri. Biochemical mechanisms controlling oil accumulation in developing seeds. Understanding the relationship between structure and function for membrane bound acytltransferases. Developing oil seed crops useful for different industrial and biofuel applications.
	John P. Fellers USDA-ARS & Plant Pathology, Adjunct Professor Ph.D. 1996, University of Kentucky. Mapping and isolation of wheat genes in wheat for resistance to Karnal bunt, leaf rust, stem rust, scab, Septoria, Hessian fly, and viruses. We are using a genomics approach to identify new markers and expressed sequence tags for these genes.
	Carolyn Ferguson Biology, Professor Ph.D. 1998, University of Texas, Austin. Plant systematics: particularly phylogenetics and polyploidy in the genus Phlox. Research Lab
	Gregory Finnigan Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, Assistant Professor Ph.D. 2011, University of Oregon. Genetics and molecular biology of the septin cytoskeleton and CRISPR/Cas gene drive biotechnology. Research Lab
	Bernd R. Friebe Plant Pathology, Research Professor Ph.D. 1977, Free University of Berlin. Cytogenetics, molecular cytogenetics, and evolution of wheat; management of wheat genetic resources, germplasm, and genetic stocks. Research Lab
	Allan K. Fritz Agronomy, Professor Ph.D. 1994, Kansas State University. Wheat breeding and genetics with an emphasis on understanding biotic and abiotic factors that impact wheat production in Kansas.
	Erika Geisbrecht Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, Professor Ph.D. 2003, Johns Hopkins University. Biochemistry and molecular genetics in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. Mechanisms of embryonic myogenesis. Formation and maintenance of muscle attachments. Identification and characterization of genes that result in myopathies. Cell signaling in development. Research Lab
	Revathi Govind Biology, Associate Professor Ph.D. 2006, Texas Tech University HSC. Bacterial genetics, bacterial pathogenesis, molecular pathogenic microbiology, anaerobic bacterial pathogens.
	Michael R. Kanost Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, Distinguished Professor Ph.D. 1983, Purdue University. Biochemistry of insect immune responses; Serine proteinases and proteinase inhibitors in insect hemolymph. Insect hemolymph proteins that recognize polysaccharides on the surface of pathogens. Cell adhesion in encapsulation of parasites by insect hemocytes. Biochemistry of insect cuticle sclerotization.
	Sonny T M Lee Biology, Assistant Professor Ph.D. 2016, University of Auckland, New Zealand. Host-microbe interaction - using 'omics' (metagenomics and metatranscriptomics) to understand host-microbe dynamics under environmental stress. Bioinformatics, microbial ecology; microbial diversity and cultivation. Research Lab
	John F. Leslie Plant Pathology, Distinguished Professor Ph.D. 1979, University of Wisconsin. Fungal molecular genetics. Population biology of Fusarium species and other plant pathogenic fungi.
	Sanzhen Liu Plant Pathology, Associate Professor Ph.D. 2010, Iowa State University. Genome assembly, comparative genomics, identification of genetic variants conferring plant disease resistance and understanding interactions between pathogens and plants.
	Berlin Londoño Entomology, Assistant Professor Ph.D. 2009, Tulane University Role of immunity against arthropod salivary proteins on disease severity and transmission. Use of human antibodies elicited against Aedes, Culex and Anopheles salivary proteins as epidemiological tools for the surveillance of arthropod-vector contact as well as a measure of risk for mosquito-borne disease transmission.
	Jocelyn McDonald Biology, Associate Professor Ph.D. 1998, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Genetic control of cell migration in development and cancer, primarily using the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. We use live imaging, genetics, developmental biology and cell biological approaches to uncover mechanisms that control cell migration. Research Lab
	Beth A. Montelone Biology, Professor Ph.D. 1982, University of Rochester. Currently NOT taking students. DNA metabolism in yeast. Use of the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae (bakers' yeast) to investigate mechanisms of spontaneous genetic changes in cells and their relationship to DNA repair systems. Research Lab
	Brad Olson Biology, Associate Professor Ph.D., 2008, Michigan State University. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Molecular and ecological basis of major evolutionary state transitions. Molecular and ecological basis of multicellular evolution unknown. Research Lab
	Sunghun Park Horticulture & Natural Resources, Professor Ph.D. 1995, Texas A&M University. Role of calcium in fruit and vegetable cell physiology, enhancement of production and nutritional quality of horticultural crops.
	Yoonseong Park Entomology, Professor Ph.D. 1998, University of Arizona. Neurobiology - behavior - evolution of insect signaling peptides and their receptors. Risk assessment of the SIT (sterile insect program) transgenic conditional lethal gene.
	Jesse Poland Plant Pathology, Associate Professor Ph.D. 2010, Cornell University. Wheat genetics and germplasm improvement; marker technologies, association genetics and genomic selection for use in breeding. Resistance to the major nemeses of wheat; stem rust, stripe rust and leaf rust. Research Lab
	Megan Rolf Animal Science & Industry, Associate Professor Ph.D., University of Missouri-Columbia, 2012 Genetics and Livestock Genomics
	William T. Schapaugh Agronomy, Professor Ph.D. 1979, Purdue University. Soybean breeding and genetics.
	Kathrin Schrick Biology, Associate Professor Ph.D. 1994, University of Washington. Molecular mechanisms underlying growth and development of flowering plants. Research Lab
	Stephanie Shames Biology, Assistant Professor Ph.D. 2012, University of British Columbia. High-throughput genetic screening approaches to investigate host-pathogen interactions. Genetic basis for host-pathogen interactions. Research Lab
	Kristopher Silver Entomology, Research Associate Professor Ph.D. 2005, Cornell University Identifying and characterizing molecular mechanisms of RNA interference and systemic RNAi as well as molecular mechanisms of toxicity of insecticides and insecticide resistance. Use of functional genomics to identify novel mechanisms of toxicity. Role of extracellular vesicles in intercellular communication.
	Tesfaye Tesso Agronomy, Professor Ph.D. 2002, Kansas State University. Sorghum breeding and genetics.
	Richard Todd Plant Pathology, Associate Professor Ph.D. 1998, University of Melbourne. Fungal genetics and genomics. Molecular mechanisms of gene regulation and gene function, especially in the genetic model eukaryote Aspergillus nidulans.
	Peter Tomlinson Agronomy, Associate Professor Ph.D 2011, University of Arkansas Soil health, Soil ecology, Functional genomics, Soil biology, Microbial diversity, Soil.
	Chris Toomajian Plant Pathology, Associate Professor Ph.D. 2002, University of Chicago. Population and evolutionary genetics and genomics of plants and plant pathogens. Research
	Harold N. Trick Plant Pathology, Professor Ph.D. 1995. Florida State University. Plant tissue culture, transformation and molecular biology of wheat, soybean and corn.
	Barbara Valent Plant Pathology, Distinguished Professor Ph.D. 1978, University of Colorado. Molecular plant-fungal interactions. Genome variability and evolution of blast diseases of cereal crops. Emerging threats to food security.
	Govindsamy Vediyappan Biology, Assistant Professor Ph.D. 1994, University of Madras, India. Pathogenic microbiology, bacterial genetics & mycology.
	Stephen Welch Agronomy, Professor Ph.D. 1977, Michigan State University. Theoretical plant modeling focusing on genotype-to-phenotype relationships in key plant traits. The specific approach utilized merges mathematical elements drawn from ecophysiological, gene network, and quantitative genetic models. Current modeling effors require high performance computing and 3D graphics.
	Anna Zinovyeva Biology, Assistant Professor Ph.D. 2007, Indiana University. Genetic control of C. elegans development and microRNA function. Molecular mechanisms of gene expression regulation by microRNAs.