Postdoctoral Research

My postdoctoral research involves testing the effects of nitrogen deposition on microbial communities involved in litter decomposition. Litter decomposition is a critical component of nutrient cycling in forests, but is slowed following the addition of nitrogen. In the northeastern US, increased deposition of nitrogen via industrial and agricultural practices could have a major impact on nutrient cycling and primary productivity in the region’s forests. We use high throughput amplicon sequencing of fungal ITS and bacterial 16S rRNA regions and high resolution stable isotope probing methods to determine the microorganisms involved in litter decomposition, their response to nitrogen amendments, and temporal dynamics.

In addition to this main project, I LOVE taking on side projects, especially when it comes to plant and soil microbiomes. I am currently collaborating with other researchers on the paw paw flower microbiome, the long term effects of liming on forest soil microbiomes, potential N-fixing microorganisms associated with switchgrass, and the sea star microbiome.

PhD Research

I completed by PhD in Plant Pathology at the Ohio State University in 2015. My research centered around an intercropping system between native shrubs and millet in Senegal. Farmers noticed improved millet plant growth and yield when planted in close proximity with either of two native shrubs (Guiera senegalensis and Piliostigma reticulatum). I was part of a team of graduate students studying multiple aspects of this intercropping system, including soil enzyme activities, ecology of macrofauna (mostly nematodes), mycorrhizal networks, and soil water dynamics. I focused on the soil microbial ecology aspect of the project, investigating bacterial and fungal communities around millet and shrub roots. We found a highly similar bacterial community between intercropped shrub and millet roots, and differential enrichment of both bacteria and fungi between millet plants grown in the presence and absence of these shrubs.

Undergraduate Research

At St. Olaf College I was able to perform undergraduate research in Dr. Steve Freedberg’s lab focused on modeling the genetic impacts of environmental sex determination on competition and extinction rate in reptiles. We spent lots of time in the field all summer catching turtles, and many Minnesota winter nights in the computer lab writing code!

I was also lucky enough to participate in an NSF REU program at the University of Colorado - Boulder under the guidance of Noah Fierer in soil microbiology. We looked at differences in microbial communities with soil depth and across a watershed at fine geographic scales.