Faculty and Research

Faculty

	Eduard Akhunov Plant Pathology, University Distinguished 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.
	Katsura Asano Biology, Professor PhD 1994, University of Tokyo, Japan Our long-term goal is to contribute to human health through understanding the mechanism of eukaryotic translation initiation. We study the genome-wide effects of translational regulation and their underlying principles, using various models including yeasts, insects and human cancer cells.
	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.
	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
	David E. Cook Plant Pathology, Associate 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, 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
	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.
	Katherine Jordan Agronomy and USDA-ARS, Adjunct Assistant Professor Ph.D. 2006, North Carolina State University Wheat genetics and genomics; Bioinformatics; Quantitative genetics of disease with emphasis on rusts and fusarium head blight.
	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.
	Dal-Hoe Koo Plant Pathology, Research Associate Professor Ph.D. 2006, Chungnam National University Cytogenetic analysis of plants, application of molecular cytogenetics for wheat crop improvement for stress resilience, development and management of wheat genetic stocks.
	Aaron Kusmec Agronomy, Assistant Professor. Quantitative and population genetics of gene-environment interactions; evolution of complex adaptive systems; optimization of breeding programs; high-throughput phenotyping
	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.
	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
	Shahideh Nouri Plant Pathology, Assistant Professor Ph.D. 2012, University of Wisconsin-Madison Molecular plant-virus interactions, Virus evolution, Insect vector virome and its role in transmission of plant pathogens, Using plant and insect-specific viruses for developing new gene delivery tools.
	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.
	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
	Kristopher Silver Entomology, 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.
	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.
	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.