Brad Nelms, Principal Investigator

My research focuses on understanding cell differentiation during plant reproduction using a combination of experimental and computational genomics. I moved from the biomedical sciences into plant biology after graduate school because I am inspired by the potential of basic plant research to impact food security and sustainability.

Mary Washburn, Graduate Student

My goal is to understand how plants respond to environmental stresses through the reproduction cycle. I’m interested in using my research to impact food security and expand our understanding of the reproductive process in a number of environments.

Julian Somers, Graduate Student

I am interested in the sporophyte-gametophyte transition and cell reprogramming in plants. Through research, I hope to improve food security and sustainability.

Justin Scherer, Graduate Student

I am interested in utilizing cutting edge techniques to answer questions related to sustainability in agriculture to combat the impacts of climate change. Currently, I am developing a system to perform high throughput genetic screens in maize pollen using the Mutator transposon.

Jaime Alaniz, Visiting Graduate Student

Ben Johanson, Research Technician

Aditya Birla, Undergrad Researcher

My goal is to develop biostatistical methods for the analysis of gene expression patterns, with an emphasis on orthologous genes