Graduate Faculty

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Ruthie Angelovici

Associate Professor
Division of Biological Sciences

E-mail: angelovicir@missouri.edu
Research: I seek to unravel the metabolic and genetic control of the seed's amino acid (AA) composition under various environmental conditions. Since seeds of most major staple crop are deficient in several essential AA, this knowledge can provide the basis for further genetic improvement and help gain sustainable high-quality crop seeds.

Jaime Barros-Rios

Assistant Professor
Division of Plant Science and Technology

E-mail: jaime (dot) barros (at) missouri (dot) edu
Research: Plant cell wall biochemistry; metabolic and genetic engineering; biotechnology and crop improvement; plant responses and adaptations to the environment; biofuels and biomaterials.

Norman B. Best

Research Geneticists (Plants)/Assistant Adjunct Professor
USDA-ARS/Division of Plant Science and Technology

E-mail: norman.best (at) usda (dot) gov
Research: Identification and manipulation of plant hormone genetic targets to improve maize architecture.

James A. Birchler

Curators' Professor
Division of Biological Sciences

E-mail: birchlerj at missouri dot edu
Research: Regulatory gene balance, dosage compensation, gene silencing, centromere activity and artificial chromosomes

David M. Braun

Professor/Director
Division of Plant Science and Technology & Division of Biological Sciences/Interdisciplinary Plant Group

E-mail: braundm at missouri dot edu
Research: Genetic control of carbohydrate partitioning in plants

Pamela J. Brown

Associate Professor
Division of Biological Sciences

E-mail: brownpb at missouri dot edu
Research: Polar growth of the bacterial plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Heike Buecking

Division Director & Professor
Division of Plant Science and Technology

E-mail: heike dot buecking at missouri dot edu
Research:

Jianlin (Jack) Cheng

William and Nancy Thompson Professor
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department

E-mail: chengji at missouri dot edu
Web site: Cheng Lab
Research: computational tools to tackle biological problems, such as protein structure prediction, protein interaction, protein function prediction, biological sequence alignments, inference and simulation of biological networks, and genomics

David W. Emerich

Emeritus Professor
Department of Biochemisty

E-mail: emerichd at missouri dot edu
Research: Enzymology, physiology and genomics of biological nitrogen fixation and related metabolic activities

James T. English

Emeritus Professor
Division of Plant Science and Technology

E-mail: englishj at missouri dot edu
Research: Molecular biology and ecology of the fungus Phytophthora

Richard A. Ferrieri

Research Professor
University of Missouri Research Reactor and Department of Chemistry

E-mail: ferrierir@missouri.edu
Research: Research in the Ferrieri Lab focuses on plant stress biology and uses a combination of radioactive and stable isotope tracer technologies to aid in their examination of source-sink relations, and address questions on metabolic regulation, basic plant physiology and growth traits.

Deborah L. Finke

Professor
Division of Plant Science and Technology

E-mail: finked at missouri dot edu
Research: ecological plant-insect interactions

Sherry Flint-Garcia

Research Geneticist/Adjunct Professor
USDA-ARS/Division of Plant Science and Technology

E-mail: sherry.flint-garcia at ars dot usda dot gov
Web site: Flint-Garcia Lab
Research: Using genetics, genomics, and breeding to understand agronomic traits in maize

William R. Folk

Professor
Department of Biochemisty

E-mail: folkw at missouri dot edu
Research: Gene expression and DNA replication of DNA tumor viruses; plant biotechnology and medical uses of plants

Felix B. Fritschi

C. Alice Donaldson Professor in Bioenergy Crop Physiology and Genetics
Division of Plant Science and Technology

E-mail: fritschif at missouri dot edu
Web site: Fritschi Lab
Research: Plant physiology, stress tolerance, and plant nutrition

Candace Galen

Emeritus Professor
Division of Biological Sciences

E-mail: galenc at missouri dot edu
Research: Ecology and evolution in natural plant populations

Walter Gassmann

Director/Professor
Bond Life Sciences Center/Division of Plant Science and Technology

E-mail: gassmannw at missouri dot edu
Research: Genetic and molecular analysis of plant disease resistance

Perry Gustafson

Adjunct Professor
Division of Plant Science and Technology

E-mail: Perry.Gustafson at ars.usda.gov
Research: Research is being conducted toward a better understanding of the genetic mechanisms controlling the introduction and expression of genes in wheat and rice using genetic, cytogenetic and molecular approaches.

Antje Heese

Associate Professor
Department of Biochemistry

E-mail: heesea at missouri.edu
Research: Membrane trafficking in plant innate immunity

Bruce E. Hibbard

Supervisory Research Entomologist and Adjunct Professor
USDA/Division of Plant Science and Technology

E-mail: hibbardb at missouri dot edu
Web site: Hibbard Lab
Research: Biology, pest/ host interactions, and chemical ecology of major corn insect pests, especially as they relate to resistance management

Trupti Joshi

Director of Translational Bioinformatics/Assistant Professor/Core Faculty MU Informatics Institute
Medical Research Office/Department of Health Management and Informatics (HMI)/Department of Health Management and Informatics

E-mail: joshitr at missouri dot edu
Research: Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Computational tools and methodology development for plant sciences, animal sciences and biomedical application, Genomics and Systems biology, Multi-omics data analyses and integration

David Kang

Research Molecular Biologist
USDA

E-mail: Dave (dot) Kang (at) usda (dot) gov
Research: The Kang Laboratory has a broad interest in the mechanisms that underlie animal-microbiome interactions, with a primary goal of applying this knowledge in the control of insect pests. We employ a suite of molecular, genetic, and genomic approaches to study how microbes influence the performance of the insect host. Further, we are interested in how the environment interacts with insect genomes to influence their physiological processes and phenotypes. This thinking extends to consideration of how the host serves as an environment for associated microbes. We explore how complex microbial communities and insect hosts influence each other, what factors mediate these interactions, and how well microbes that impart beneficial or detrimental traits to the insect persist within the host.

Toni Kazic

Associate Professor
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department

E-mail: kazict at missouri dot edu
Research: Understanding complex phenotypes.

Abraham J. Koo

Associate Professor
Department of Biochemisty

E-mail: kooaj at missouri dot edu
Research: Study of small signaling molecule-mediated defense responses against biotic stress and lipid metabolism in plant.

Laszlo G. Kovacs

Professor
Missouri State University

E-mail: LaszloKovacs at MissouriState dot edu
Web site: Center for Grapevine Biotechnology
Research: Molecular basis of plant-pathogen interactions in grapevine

Hari B. Krishnan

Research Molecular Biologist/Adjunct Professor
USDA/Division of Plant Sciences

E-mail: krishnanh at missouri dot edu
Research: Modification of soybean seed composition; rhizobium-soybean symbiosis

Chung-Ho Lin

Research Associate Professor
School of Natural Resources

E-mail: linchu at missouri dot edu
Research: Dr. Lin's primary research is focused on bioremediation, ecological restoration, natural products and development of bioeconomy.

Mannie Liscum

Professor
Division of Biological Sciences

E-mail: liscumm at missouri dot edu
Web site: Liscum Lab
Research: Environmental and homeostatic regulation of growth and development

Paula McSteen

Professor
Division of Biological Sciences

E-mail: mcsteenp at missouri dot edu
Research: Plant developmental genetics; role of auxin in development; evolution of development

David G. Mendoza-Cozatl

Associate Professor
Division of Plant Science and Technology

E-mail: mendozacozatld@missouri.edu
Research: The mobilization, accumulation, and transport of trace metals (zinc, iron, copper, cadmium) between roots, leaves and seeds.

Jeanne Mihail

Emeritus Professor
Division of Plant Science and Technology

E-mail: mihailj at missouri dot edu
Research: Biology and ecology of plant-fungal interactions

Ron Mittler

Curators' Distinguished Professor
Division of Plant Science and Technology

E-mail: mittlerr (at) missouri (dot) edu
Research:

Harley D. Naumann

Teaching Associate Professor
Division of Plant Science and Technology

E-mail: naumannhd at missouri dot edu
Research: Physiology of bioactive forage plant secondary metabolites and their role in plant-animal interactions.

Kathleen J. Newton

Chancellor’s Professor
Division of Biological Sciences

E-mail: newtonk at missouri dot edu
Research: Plant molecular genetics and mitochondrial genetics

Henry Nguyen

Curators' Professor
Division of Plant Science and Technology

E-mail: nguyenhenry at missouri dot edu
Web site: Soybean Genetics and Genomics Laboratory
Research: Molecular genetics and soybean biotechnology

Mel J. Oliver

Adjunct Professor
Division of Plant Science and Technology

E-mail: olivermj at missouri dot edu
Research: Identification and functional characterization of genes and processes common to all forms of dehydration tolerance in plants

Stephen G. Pallardy

Professor Emeritus
Department of Forestry

E-mail: pallardys at missouri dot edu
Research: Plant water relations and physiological plant ecology

Soyon Park

Assistant Professor
Division of Plant Sciences

E-mail: parksoy at missouri dot edu
Research: Dr. Park has focused on Abiotic stresses in crops, Plant-Microbiome interactions, and Plant-Plant interactions.

Scott C. Peck

Professor
Department of Biochemisty

E-mail: pecks at missouri dot edu
Research: Proteomics of protein phosphorylation and protein kinases; signaling and secretion during host-pathogen interactions

Andrew Scaboo

Assistant Professor
Division of Plant Science and Technology

E-mail: scabooa (at) missouri (dot) edu
Research:

Craig Schenck

Assistant Professor
Department of Biochemistry

E-mail: caschenck at missouri dot edu
Web site: Schenck Lab Website
Research: Evolution of plant chemical diversity

James E. Schoelz

Professor
Division of Plant Science and Technology

E-mail: Schoelzj at missouri dot edu
Research: Environmental and genetic factors that influence pathogenicity and host range of plant viruses

Robert E. Sharp

Chancellor's Distinguished Professor/Curator’s Distinguished Professor Emeritus
Division of Plant Science and Technology

E-mail: sharpr at missouri dot edu
Web site: Sharp Lab
Research: Plant physiology; regulation of root and shoot growth responses to drought

Chi-Ren Shyu

Professor and Director
MU Informatics Institute

E-mail: shyuc at missouri dot edu
Web site: MU Informatics Institute
Research: Visually observe phenotype analysis, repetitive and ultra-conserved sequences, protein structure databases, data mining and knowledge discovery

R. Keith Slotkin

Associate Professor/Associate Member and Principal Investigator
Division of Biological Sciences/Donald Danforth Plant Science Center

E-mail: kslotkin at danforthcenter dot org
Research: The Slotkin lab investigates how transposable elements are epigenetically regulated in plant genomes

Gary Stacey

Curators' Professor
Division of Plant Science and Technology

E-mail: staceyg at missouri dot edu
Web site: Stacey Lab
Research: Functional genomics of plant-microbe interactions and plant development

Lloyd W. Sumner

Professor and Director, University of Missouri Metabolomics Center
Department of Biochemistry

E-mail: sumnerlw at missouri dot edu
Research: The Sumner Group develops and applies large-scale biochemical profiling technologies for novel insight into plant metabolism.

Jay J. Thelen

Professor
Department of Biochemisty

E-mail: thelenj at missouri dot edu
Research: Proteomics and phosphoproteomics of seed development in oil seeds

John C. Walker

Curators’ Distinguished Professor Emeritus
Division of Biological Sciences

E-mail: walkerj at missouri dot edu
Web site: Walker Lab
Research: Molecular mechanisms regulating cellular signaling in plants

Jacob D. Washburn

Research Geneticists (Plants)/Assistant Adjunct Professor
USDA-ARS/Division of Plant Science and Technology

E-mail: Jacob.Washburn (at) usda (dot) gov
Research: My lab works on understanding the genetic and physiological basis of plant phenotypes and adaptations to both environmental (drought, heat, etc.) and human imposed conditions (fertilizer, density, monoculture, etc.).

Jeffrey D. Wood

Assistant Professor
School of Natural Resources

E-mail: woodjd (at) missouri (dot) edu
Research:

Dong Xu

Curators' Distinguished Professor
Department of Computer Science

E-mail: xudong at missouri dot edu
Web site: Digital Biology Laboratory
Research: Bioinformatics and computational biology, protein structure prediction, high-throughput biological data analysis, biological information systems, and in silico studies of plants.

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Graduate Faculty