Faculty By Department / Institute | Integrated Plant Sciences

Genetics

Jill Anderson

Assistant Professor
Genetics; Plant Biology
Website | Google Scholar

global change, ecophysiology, natural selection, evolutionary genetics, local adaptation

Jonathan Arnold

Professor
Genetics
Website | Google Scholar| ResearchGate

systems biology, symbiosis of fungi and plants, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, biological clocks

Jeff Bennetzen

Norman and Doris Giles Professor, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar,
National Academy of Sciences Member
Genetics; Plant Biology; Institute of Bioinformatics
Website | Google Scholar

cereal comparative genomics, genome structure and evolution

Kelly Dawe

Distinguished Research Professor
Plant Biology; Genetics
Website | Google Scholar

centromeres, cytogenetics

Rodney Mauricio

Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor
Genetics
Website

conservation genetics, invasive species, ecological genetics, evolutionary ecology, plant-animal interactions, evolutionary quantitative genetics, adaptation

Andrew Paterson

Regents Professor; Plant Genome Mapping Laboratory
Genetics; Institute of Bioinformatics; Plant Biology
Website | Google Scholar

plant genetics, genomics, evolution, crop improvement, domestication

Bob Schmitz

Associate Professor
Genetics; Plant Biology; Institute of Bioinformatics
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate | Twitter

epigenetics, epigenomics

Andrea Sweigart

Associate Professor
Genetics; Plant Biology
Website | Google Scholar

evolutionary genetics, speciation

CJ Tsai

Winfred N. Haynes Professor and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar
Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; Plant Biology; Genetics; Institute of Bioinformatics
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate | Lab Facebook

phenylpropanoid metabolism, stress response, wood formation, gene family evolution, gene-metabolite networks

Esther van der Knaap

Professor
Horticulture; Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics; Plant Biology; Genetics
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate

tomato developmental genetics, genomics, molecular biology
Institute for Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics

Bochra Bahri

Assistant Professor
Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics; Plant Pathology
Website | Google Scholar | Research Gate

pathogen population structure, pathogen adaptation to hosts and to climate change, plant-pathogen interactions, resistance gene and virulence factor identification, turfgrass and forage disease management

Jessica Barb

Assistant Research Scientist
Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics; Plant Biology
Google Scholar

small grains breeding and genetics

David Bertioli

Professor, Georgia Research Alliance Distinguished Investigator
Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics; Plant Pathology
Website | Google Scholar
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peanut genetics and improvement using wild species

Robin Buell

GRA Eminent Scholar Chair in Crop Genomics
Joining UGA August 2021
Crop & Soil Sciences; Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate

plant genome biology, genome-enabled breeding, plant resilience, genome editing, synthetic biology

Dario Chavez

Assistant Professor
Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website | UGA Peach Blog | ResearchGate
peach breeding, genetics and production

Peng W. Chee

Professor
Molecular Cotton Breeding Laboratory; National Environmentally Sound Production Agriculture Laboratory;
Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website

molecular breeding of cotton

Josh Clevenger

Adjunct Faculty
Crop & Soil Sciences; Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Google Scholar | ResearchGate

peanut genetic improvement, polyploid genomics

Joann Conner

Assistant Research Scientist
Horticulture; Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website
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apospory, angiosperm asexual reproduction

Katrien Devos

Distinguished Research Professor
Plant Biology; Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics; Institute of Bioinformatics
Website | ResearchGate

comparative genomics in cereals

Soraya Leal-Bertioli

Senior Research Scientist
Plant Pathology; Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website | ResearchGate

peanut, wild arachis, introgression, tetraploidization, disease resistance

Zenglu Li

Professor
Georgia Seed Development Professorship in Soybean Breeding and Genetics
Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website

soybean breeding, genetics and genomics

Cecilia McGregor

Associate Professor
Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website | Google Scholar

vegetables, breeding, genetics, genomics, marker-assisted selection, QTL

Mohamed Mergoum

Georgia Seed Development UGAF Professorship in Wheat Breeding and Genetics
Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website

small grain breeding, genetics and genomics

Ali Missaoui

Associate Professor
Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website | ResearchGate

bioenergy, forages, breeding, genomics

Melissa Mitchum

Professor
Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics; Plant Pathology
Website | Google Scholar

molecular plant-nematode interactions, effectors, peptide signaling, host plant resistance, soybean genetics and genomics

Peggy Ozias-Akins

D.W. Brooks Professorship, UGA Distinguished Research Professor
Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics; Horticulture
Website | ResearchGate

developmental biology and molecular mechanisms of apomixis, genetic enhancement of peanut and grasses

Wayne Parrott

Distinguished Research Professor
Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate | Lab Facebook | Twitter

gene editing and transgenic breeding of legumes and grasses

Paul Raymer

Professor
Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website

turfgrass breeding and genetics

Brian Schwartz

Associate Professor
Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website

turfgrass breeding

Esther van der Knaap

Professor
Horticulture; Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics; Plant Biology; Genetics
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate

tomato developmental genetics, genomics, molecular biology

Justin Vaughn

Adjunct Faculty
Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website | Google Scholar

gene discovery, population genomics characterization and visualization, simulation of genetic systems

Jason Wallace

Associate Professor
Institute of Bioinformatics, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website | ORCiD | Google Scholar

quantitative genetics and genomics of crops and their microbiomes

Dayton Wilde

Professor
Horticulture; Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website | ResearchGate

molecular genetics of ornamental plants
Plant Biology

Magdy Alabady

Associate Research Scientist, Director Georgia Genomics & Bioinformatics Core
Plant Biology; Georgia Genomics Facility
Website | ResearchGate

functional genomics, epigenetics, small RNA

Jill Anderson

Assistant Professor
Genetics; Plant Biology
Website | Google Scholar

global change, ecophysiology, natural selection, evolutionary genetics, local adaptation

Doug P. Aubrey

Assistant Professor, Plant Biology
Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory
Website

Tree ecophysiology, forest biogeochemistry, fire ecology, sustainability of bioenergy production

Maor Bar-Peled

Professor
Plant Biology; Complex Carbohydrate Research Center
Website

complex carbohydrates synthesis and regulation, biochemistry and molecular biology

Jessica Barb

Assistant Research Scientist
Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics; Plant Biology
Google Scholar

small grains breeding and genetics

Douda Bensasson

Assistant Professor
Plant Biology; Institute of Bioinformatics
Website | Google Scholar
fungal domestication, bioinformatics, population genetics, evolution

Alexander Bucksch

Assistant Professor
Plant Biology; Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; Institute of Bioinformatics
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate | Twitter

computational plant science, phenomics, plant roots, plant imaging and simulation

John Burke

Distinguished Research Professor; Department Head, Plant Biology
Plant Biology
Website | Google Scholar

plant evolutionary genetics

Shu-Mei Chang

Professor
Plant Biology
Website | ResearchGate

evolution and ecology of plant reproduction and mating systems

Jennifer Cruse-Sanders

Director, State Botanical Garden of Georgia
Plant Biology

Kelly Dawe

Distinguished Research Professor
Plant Biology; Genetics
Website | Google Scholar

centromeres, cytogenetics

Katrien Devos

Distinguished Research Professor
Plant Biology; Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics; Institute of Bioinformatics
Website | ResearchGate

comparative genomics in cereals

Lisa Donovan

Distinguished Research Professor
Plant Biology
Website | ResearchGate | Focus on Faculty

plant evolutionary ecophysiology, stress physiology, resource allocation

Michael G. Hahn

Professor
Plant Biology; Complex Carbohydrate Research Center
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate

study of plant cell wall polysaccharides using monoclonal antibodies

Chang Hyun Khang

Assistant Professor
Plant Biology
Website | ResearchGate

plant-fungal interactions, rice, blast fungus

Brian Kvitko

Assistant Professor
Plant Biology, Plant Pathology
Website | ResearchGate

mechanisms of plant immune action against bacteria, molecular phytobacteriology

Jim Leebens-Mack

Distinguished Research Professor; Director, UGA Plant Center
Plant Biology
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate

genomic, phylogenetic and experimental analyses

Zachary Lewis

Associate Professor
Plant Biology; Microbiology
Website | Google Scholar

fungal genetics, chromatin structure and function, epigenetics, gene regulation

Xiaorong Lin

ProfessorPlant Biology; Microbiology
Website | Google Scholar

fungal genetics, human fungal pathogens, sexual reproduction, dimorphism, pathogenesis, protein trafficking

Wolfgang Lukowitz

Associate Professor
Plant Biology
Website | Google Scholar

plant development and cell biology

Jacqueline Mohan

Associate Professor, School of Ecology
Plant Biology
Website | Google Scholar| ResearchGate

ecosystem ecology, population and community ecology, biogeochemistry, global change, climate change, conservation biology, geographic genetic variation, species range shifts

Debra Mohnen

Georgia Athletics Association Professor
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Plant Biology; Complex Carbohydrate Research Center
Website | ResearchGate

biosynthesis of plant cell wall polysaccharides

Michelle Momany

Professor
Plant Biology
Website | Twitter

fungal genetics, cytoskeleton, polar growth

Brad Nelms

Assistant Professor
Plant Biology
Website | Google Scholar

plant reproduction, genomics and gene regulatory networks, single-cell RNA-sequencing, reprogramming cell fate

Andrew Paterson

Regents Professor; Plant Genome Mapping Laboratory
Genetics; Institute of Bioinformatics; Plant Biology
Website | Google Scholar

plant genetics, genomics, evolution, crop improvement, domestication

Megan DeMarche

Assistant Professor
Plant Biology
Website | Google Scholar

population dynamics, evolutionary ecology, responses to climate change

Andrea Sweigart

Associate Professor
Genetics; Plant Biology
Website | Google Scholar

evolutionary genetics, speciation

Dorset Trapnell

Associate Professor
Plant Biology
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate

ecology, landscape disturbances, phylogeography

CJ Tsai

Winfred N. Haynes Professor and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar
Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; Plant Biology; Genetics; Institute of Bioinformatics
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate | Lab Facebook

phenylpropanoid metabolism, stress response, wood formation, gene family evolution, gene-metabolite networks

Esther van der Knaap

Professor
Horticulture; Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics; Plant Biology; Genetics
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate

tomato developmental genetics, genomics, molecular biology

Caterina Villari

Assistant Professor
Plant Biology, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate

fungal pathogens, resistance mechanisms of trees, chemical ecology, insect-fungi symbioses

Nina Wurzburger

Associate Professor
Plant Biology
Website | Google Scholar | Focus on Faculty
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ecosystem biogeochemistry, plant-microbial symbioses, disturbance ecology

Zheng-Hua Ye

Professor
Plant Biology
Website

molecular genetics and biochemistry of secondary cell wall biosynthesis
Plant Pathology

Sudeep Bag

Assistant Professor
Plant Pathology
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate

plant virology: detection, disease epidemiology, genomics, small RNA, virus-host interaction, and virus disease management

Bochra Bahri

Assistant Professor
Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics; Plant Pathology
Website | Google Scholar | Research Gate

pathogen population structure, pathogen adaptation to hosts and to climate change, plant-pathogen interactions, resistance gene and virulence factor identification, turfgrass and forage disease management

Marin Brewer

Associate Professor
Plant Pathology
Website | ResearchGate

plant-pathogenic fungi, population genomics, mating systems, host specialization

Michael Deom

Professor
Plant Pathology
Website | ResearchGate
virus-host interactions, biotic and abiotic stress in groundnut varieties

Brian Kvitko

Assistant Professor
Plant Biology, Plant Pathology
Website | ResearchGate

mechanisms of plant immune action against bacteria, molecular phytobacteriology

Soraya Leal-Bertioli

Senior Research Scientist
Plant Pathology; Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website | ResearchGate

peanut, wild arachis, introgression, tetraploidization, disease resistance

Melissa Mitchum

Professor
Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics; Plant Pathology
Website | Google Scholar

molecular plant-nematode interactions, effectors, peptide signaling, host plant resistance, soybean genetics and genomics

Shavannor Smith

Associate Professor
Plant Pathology
Website | ResearchGate

plant-pathogen interactions, structure and evolution of disease resistance loci

Caterina Villari

Assistant Professor
Plant Biology, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate

fungal pathogens, resistance mechanisms of trees, chemical ecology, insect-fungi symbioses

Li Yang

Assistant Professor
Plant Pathology
Website | Google Scholar

molecular genetics of plant immunity and development
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Debra Mohnen

Georgia Athletics Association Professor
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Plant Biology; Complex Carbohydrate Research Center
Website | ResearchGate

biosynthesis of plant cell wall polysaccharides

Breeanna Urbanowicz

Assistant Professor
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Complex Carbohydrate Research Center
Website | LinkedIn | Google Scholar

structure and function of plant carbohydrate active enzymes
Horticulture

Joann Conner

Assistant Research Scientist
Horticulture; Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website
/">
apospory, angiosperm asexual reproduction

Rhuanito Ferrarezi

Associate Professor
Horticulture
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate

irrigation, mineral nutrition, sap analysis, hydroponics, cropping systems

Anish Malladi

Associate Professor
Horticulture
Website | ResearchGate

fruit growth and developmental physiology

Savithri Nambeesan

Assistant Research Scientist
Horticulture
Website

ripening and postharvest physiology

Peggy Ozias-Akins

D.W. Brooks Professorship, UGA Distinguished Research Professor
Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics; Horticulture
Website | ResearchGate

developmental biology and molecular mechanisms of apomixis, genetic enhancement of peanut and grasses

Esther van der Knaap

Professor
Horticulture; Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics; Plant Biology; Genetics
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate

tomato developmental genetics, genomics, molecular biology

Marc van Iersel

Vincent J. Dooley Professorship in Horticulture
Horticulture
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate

physiology, drought, photosynthesis

Dayton Wilde

Professor
Horticulture; Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website | ResearchGate

molecular genetics of ornamental plants
Institute of Bioinformatics

Magdy Alabady

Associate Research Scientist, Director Georgia Genomics & Bioinformatics Core
Plant Biology; Georgia Genomics Facility
Website | ResearchGate

functional genomics, epigenetics, small RNA

Jeff Bennetzen

Norman and Doris Giles Professor, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar,
National Academy of Sciences Member
Genetics; Plant Biology; Institute of Bioinformatics
Website | Google Scholar

cereal comparative genomics, genome structure and evolution

Douda Bensasson

Assistant Professor
Plant Biology; Institute of Bioinformatics
Website | Google Scholar
fungal domestication, bioinformatics, population genetics, evolution

Alexander Bucksch

Assistant Professor
Plant Biology; Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; Institute of Bioinformatics
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate | Twitter

computational plant science, phenomics, plant roots, plant imaging and simulation

John Burke

Distinguished Research Professor; Department Head, Plant Biology
Plant Biology
Website | Google Scholar

plant evolutionary genetics

Katrien Devos

Distinguished Research Professor
Plant Biology; Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics; Institute of Bioinformatics
Website | ResearchGate

comparative genomics in cereals

Brad Nelms

Assistant Professor
Plant Biology
Website | Google Scholar

plant reproduction, genomics and gene regulatory networks, single-cell RNA-sequencing, reprogramming cell fate

Andrew Paterson

Regents Professor; Plant Genome Mapping Laboratory
Genetics; Institute of Bioinformatics; Plant Biology
Website | Google Scholar

plant genetics, genomics, evolution, crop improvement, domestication

Bob Schmitz

Associate Professor
Genetics; Plant Biology; Institute of Bioinformatics
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate | Twitter

epigenetics, epigenomics

CJ Tsai

Winfred N. Haynes Professor and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar
Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; Plant Biology; Genetics; Institute of Bioinformatics
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate | Lab Facebook

phenylpropanoid metabolism, stress response, wood formation, gene family evolution, gene-metabolite networks

Justin Vaughn

Adjunct Faculty
Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website | Google Scholar

gene discovery, population genomics characterization and visualization, simulation of genetic systems

Jason Wallace

Associate Professor
Institute of Bioinformatics, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website | ORCiD | Google Scholar

quantitative genetics and genomics of crops and their microbiomes
Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources

Doug P. Aubrey

Assistant Professor, Plant Biology
Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory
Website

Tree ecophysiology, forest biogeochemistry, fire ecology, sustainability of bioenergy production

Alexander Bucksch

Assistant Professor
Plant Biology; Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; Institute of Bioinformatics
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate | Twitter

computational plant science, phenomics, plant roots, plant imaging and simulation

Dan Johnson

Assistant Professor
Plant Biology, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
Website | Google Scholar

tree ecophysiology, water use, drought

CJ Tsai

Winfred N. Haynes Professor and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar
Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; Plant Biology; Genetics; Institute of Bioinformatics
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate | Lab Facebook

phenylpropanoid metabolism, stress response, wood formation, gene family evolution, gene-metabolite networks

Caterina Villari

Assistant Professor
Plant Biology, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate

fungal pathogens, resistance mechanisms of trees, chemical ecology, insect-fungi symbioses
Microbiology

Zachary Lewis

Associate Professor
Plant Biology; Microbiology
Website | Google Scholar

fungal genetics, chromatin structure and function, epigenetics, gene regulation

Xiaorong Lin

ProfessorPlant Biology; Microbiology
Website | Google Scholar

fungal genetics, human fungal pathogens, sexual reproduction, dimorphism, pathogenesis, protein trafficking