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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 Candidate 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. Additionally, I will examine the anthosphere - the floral microbiome, investigating how fungal endophytes found in petals alter floral volatile composition profiles. 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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Emma Throneburg
PhD Student I am a biology education researcher and ecologist interested in understanding how to improve student persistence in science, particularly for students with historically excluded and currently underrepresented identities. My current research focuses on how a first-year, two-semester, soil microbiome Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) can impact student outcomes such as science identity, scientific self-efficacy, and science community values. My upcoming research examining urban soil microbiomes will expand on the work that undergraduate students complete within the CURE courses. Before joining the Christian lab, I earned my bachelors degree at Lenoir-Rhyne University where my honors thesis focused on African elephant behavior at the North Carolina Zoo. |
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Drew Nisip
PhD Student |
Current Undergraduate Researchers:
Dylan Habeeb
Jacob Hack
Trinity France
Naomi Frese
Elizabeth Oakes
Isabel Zanartu
Dylan Habeeb
Jacob Hack
Trinity France
Naomi Frese
Elizabeth Oakes
Isabel Zanartu
Christian lab alumni:
Dr. Kylea Garces (2020-2023)
Lucia Amani (2022-2023)
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)
Dr. Kylea Garces (2020-2023)
Lucia Amani (2022-2023)
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)