In the Field
My research examines the complex, context-dependent interplay between plants and soils — in particular, how the belowground microbiome mediates environmental pressure on both organism and community scales.
I am powerfully motivated to consider issues of both food safety and environmental sustainability in the context of our changing climate. I conduct experimental research designed to quantify organism-level mechanistic connections underlying plant-soil dynamics, and pursue theoretical work intended to apply these first principles to predict broader community-level patterns and suggest amendments for ecosystem conservation and agricultural management.
My work spans subtropical pastures and wetlands (Florida), tropical forests (Panama, Mexico, China), savannas (Kenya), and temperate forests (northeastern USA). I'm trained in stable isotope mass spectrometry, soil metagenomics, ground-penetrating radar, drone remote sensing, and molecular genetics.