Research Interests
I am a Research Associate of Plant Immunity in the Biology Department at Duke University. My research is focused on the cell biology, genetics, and biochemistry of plant immune responses. I have a broad background in all aspects of plant biology with specific training and expertise in stress response mechanisms. I am particularly interested in cell survival mechanisms and cell-to-cell communication during disease. I study salicylic acid and NPR1-mediated immune mechanisms in plants. A central aim of studying plants, especially plant immunity, is the development of new sustainable strategies for engineering disease-resistant crops. Based on my research on the NPR1 function in plants, I aim at improving the plant survival under biotic and abiotic stresses through the introduction of newly engineered variants of this master immune regulator into agricultural crops.