SCHOLARS@TAMU

Combating climate change, food insecurity, and environmental degradation are among the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Soil microbiomes are integral to addressing these grand challenges by contributing to soil carbon storage, crop productivity, and environmental remediation. My research program aims to develop a mechanistic and predictive understanding of the complex microbiome-plant-soil interactions under environmental change from the molecular to ecosystem levels. By integrating multidisciplinary principles with advanced experimental (e.g., multi-omics, synthetic ecology, isotopes, and imaging) and modeling approaches, we aim to:

-- Further understand molecular and ecological mechanisms governing microbiome dynamics, functions, and interactions with plants and soils;

-- Better predict how microbiome-plant-soil interactions respond to change and the consequential impacts on ecosystem processes;

-- Inform novel solutions to harness beneficial processes for sustainable mitigation and adaptation (e.g., carbon sequestration, crop production, environmental health).