Understanding Tree Resistance

• Our goal is to use molecular biology to increase our understanding of tree resistance and better prepare for a rapid response to future forest threats
• Our research focuses on the fundamental mechanisms of resistance to biotic and abiotic stress in trees, especially invasive diseases and insects
• Our work will involve the development of new genetic tools for improving trees and the introduction of resistant genotypes to tree breeding programs

Meet the Biological Sciences Team

Albert Abbott

albert.abbott@uky.edu

Schatz Center for Tree Molecular Genetics,

Pennsylvania State University

Anna Conrad

Postdoctoral Scholar

The Ohio State University

Seth Debolt

seth.debolt@uky.edu

Associate Professor of Plant Biology

Department of Horticulture

University of Kentucky

Tyler Dreaden

Research Plant Pathologist,

US Forest Service Southern Research Station

Shenghua Fan

Researcher

University of Kentucky

Mark Farman

mark.farman@uky.edu

Professor/Director of UK Advanced Genetic Technologies Center

Department of Plant Pathology

University of Kentucky

John Lhotka

john.lhotka@uky.edu

Associate Professor of Silviculture

University of Kentucky

Doreen ‘Dorrie’ Main

dorrie@wsu.edu

Associate Scientist/

Associate Professor of Bioinformatics

Washington State University

Scott Merkle

smerkle@uga.edu

Associate Dean of Research

& Professor of Forest Biology

The University of GA

C. Dana Nelson

dananelson@fs.fed.us

Project Leader/Research Geneticist

USFS

Lynne Rieske-Kinney

lrieske@uky.edu

Professor, Forest Entomology

University of Kentucky

Meg Staton

mstaton1@utk.edu

Associate Professor of Bioinformatics

The University of Tennessee

Jill Wegrzyn

bioinformatics@uconn.edu

Facility Scientist

University of Connecticut

Tetyana Zhebentyayeva

tzhebe@clemson.edu

Schatz Center for Tree Molecular Genetics,

Pennsylvania State University

Hongyan Zhu

hzhu4@uky.edu

Assoc Prof Plant Genetics and Genomics

Department of PSS

University of Kentucky