Faculty of Plant Biology
Professor Plant Biology & Crop & Soil Sciences
Institute of Plant Breeding, and Genetics and Genomics
Basic Information
Personal Website:
Office:
Miller Plant Sciences, Rm 4107
Research
Lab office:
Plant Sciences, Rm 4203
Lab phone:
706-542-4066
Research Areas:
Research Interests:
The research in my lab is targeted on enhancing our understanding of the organization of grass genomes, in particular wheat, millets and switchgrass, a biofuel crop. This is done through genetic and genomic analyses in the target species themselves, as well as through comparative analyses between crop and sequenced model genomes.
Grants:
- DOE, Co-PI, 10/01/17 – 09/30/22, Center for Bioenergy Innovation (Switchgrass Domestication Team).
- NSF-BREAD, PI, 06/01/16 – 05/31/20, Development of essential genetic and genomic resources for finger millet.
- USDA-SCRI, Co-PI, 09/01/15 – 08/31/20, Persistence, survival and recovery of warm-season turfgrass selections for sustainable urban landscapes under limited irrigation and long-term drought.
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Co-PI, 10/01/15 – 09/30/19, PEARL: Unraveling the molecular genetics of finger millet blast disease and existing resistance for the development of high-yielding resilient varieties.
- USDA-Plant Feedstocks Genomics for Bioenergy Program, Co-PI, 10/01/15 – 09/30/18, Parallel analysis of Puccinia emaculata virulence and switchgrass resistance phenotypes.
- DOE-Plant Feedstocks Genomics for Bioenergy Program, PI, 09/01/13 – 08/31/19, Unraveling the genetics of two key biomass traits that differentiate upland and lowland tetraploid switchgrass ecotypes, colonization by mycorrhizal fungi and frost tolerance.
Selected Publications
Selected Publications:
Education
Education:
Ph.D Grass Comparative Genomics, State University Ghent, Belgium 1992
Other Information
Of note:
- Fellow of the Crop Science Society of America (2019)
- Distinguished Visiting Scientist Fellowship, CSIRO (Jan – July 2018)
- D.W. Brooks Award for Excellence in Research (2017)
- UGA Creative Research Medal (2017)
- Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2016)
- ISIS Fellowship (Dec. 2000 - March 2001)
- STAFF Visiting Research Fellowship, Japan (Jan - March 1998)
- BBSRC Fellowship (1996-2001)
Other Affiliations:
