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Connor Morozumi
Postdoctoral Fellow I am a community ecologist interested in understanding mutualistic interactions in a changing world. My postdoctoral research will investigate how cover crops in soybean alter microbial community networks. Additionally, I will investigate how these interactions may be impacted by climate change by challenging plants with elevated CO2 and observing microbiome shifts. I will also be building synthetic networks of cover crops and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the lab. Before joining this lab group, I received my PhD in Population Biology, Ecology, and Evolution from Emory University in 2022 where I focused on how perturbations change plant-pollinator networks. Before that I completed a master’s degree from Oregon State University and undergraduate training at University of California, Santa Cruz. Visit Connor's website here! |
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Allison Paolucci
PhD Candidate My research interests broadly focus on understanding how leaf endophytes influence plant secondary chemistry and physiology. During my PhD at UofL, I plan on taking a systems-based approach to investigate the effects of fungal endophytes in “chemically interesting” agricultural plants, such as cannabis. In 2020, I earned my master’s degree at Ohio University studying the effects of abiotic stressors on plant physiology and nutrient transport. Additionally, I am dedicated to promoting the involvement and success of underrepresented and underserved communities in science and research. |
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Noelle Visser
PhD Student After receiving my master’s degree in medical mycology from the University of Manchester and investigating genetic variation in Candida albicans as a lab tech at the University of Michigan, I decided to revisit my initial introduction to research – fungal ecology. I’m interested in the various roles fungal foliar endophyte communities have in their host plants and how this may influence secondary metabolite production. I also want to bridge the subjects of history and science through organizations like botanical gardens. These institutes can serve as a source for cultivating environmental interest in the public as well as engage communities by providing access to hands-on educational programs, which are otherwise not readily available. |
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Kylea Garces
PhD Candidate (Emery Lab) After completing my undergraduate degree at the University of Oregon, I joined the doctoral program at University of Louisville in 2018. Broadly, my research focuses on the ways fungal-plant interactions can shape community outcomes as well as the effects global change can have on shifting the direction and magnitude of these interactions to further alter community dynamics. My current dissertation research asks how resource addition in the form of nitrogen deposition alters fungal root endophyte community responses within American beachgrass. Furthermore, I aim to address how changes within the belowground fungal community may impose aboveground responses of the dune grass community on the shores of Lake Michigan. I also am interested in science pedagogy as a tool to breakdown learning barriers and increase inclusivity within the sciences. |
Emma Throneburg
PhD Student
PhD Student
Lucia Amani
Undergraduate Researcher
Undergraduate Researcher
Christian lab alumni:
Hillary Payne (2020-2022)
Haley Sage (2020-2022)
Abigail Hazelwood (2021-2022)
Valeriya Kukharskaya (2021-2022)
Elizabeth Rogers (2021-2022)
Heba Qaissi (2021-2022)
Alexandra Matthews (2022)
Alexa Comissiong (2021)
Hillary Payne (2020-2022)
Haley Sage (2020-2022)
Abigail Hazelwood (2021-2022)
Valeriya Kukharskaya (2021-2022)
Elizabeth Rogers (2021-2022)
Heba Qaissi (2021-2022)
Alexandra Matthews (2022)
Alexa Comissiong (2021)