Principal Investigator
C. Robin Buell
Professor of Plant Biology

Ph.D., 1992, Utah State University, Logan, UT
M.Sc., 1988, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
B.S., 1985, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
buell@msu.edu
Current Members
John Hamilton
Senior Bioinformatics Engineer

MSc, Biosystems and Informatics, University of Liverpool, UK
BSc (Hons) Biochemistry (minor in Physiology), UCLAN, UK
jham@msu.edu
Brieanne Vaillancourt
Research Assistant

B.S. Genomics and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
vaillan6@msu.edu
John Johnston
Bioinformatics Domain Specialist

MS, Computer Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
MS, Hydrogeology and Geophysics, Kent State University, Kent, OH
BS, Geology and Mineralogy, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
johnj@msu.edu
Joshua Wood
Research Assistant

B.S., Genomics and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI woodjos8@msu.edu
Dongyan Zhao
Visiting Research Associate

Ph.D. in Plant Breeding, Genetics and Biotechnology, Michigan State University, US
M. Sc. in Cell Biology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
B. Sc. in Agricultural Education, Jilin Agricultural University, China
zhaodon4@msu.edu
Kin Lau
Visiting Research Associate

Ph.D., Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
B.S., Biology, Davidson College, Davidson, NC
laukin3@msu.edu
Samira Mafi Moghaddam
Visiting Research Associate

Ph.D., Genomics and Bioinformatics, North Dakota State University
M.S., Plant Biotechnology, University of Tehran
B.S., Agronomy and Plant Breeding, University of Tehran
smafi@msu.edu
Miranda Haus
Miranda Haus
Visiting Research Associate

Ph.D., Plant Biology, University of Illinois Champaign Urbana
B.S., Molecular Cellular Biology with Distinction, University of Illinois Champaign Urbana
hausmira@msu.edu
Gina Pham
Gina Pham
Graduate Research Assistant

Graduate Research Assistant, Plant Biology Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
M.S., Biology, New York University, New York, NY
B.S., Biology, The College of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ
phamgina@msu.edu
Genevieve Hoopes
Graduate Research Assistant

Graduate Research Assistant, Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
B.S., Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
hoopesge@msu.edu
Nyasha Mudukuti
Graduate Research Assistant

Graduate Research Assistant, Plant Biology Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
BSc, Biotechnology, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Zimbabwe
mudukuti@msu.edu
Nolan Bornowski
Graduate Research Assistant

Graduate Research Assistant, Plant Biology Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
M.S., Crop and Soil Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
B.S., Horticultural Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
bornowsk@msu.edu
Erica Humphreys
Undergraduate Lab Assistant

B.S. College of Natural Science – Genomics and Molecular Genetics, Additional Major – Human Biology (in progress), Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Ammara Khizar
Undergraduate Lab Assistant
B.S College of Natural Science- Biomedical Lab Science (in progress), Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Minjee Kim
Undergraduate Lab Assistant

B.S. College of Natural Science - Human Biology (in progress), Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Macy Lockhart
Undergraduate Lab Assistant

B.S. College of Social Science - Psychology (in progress), Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Rachel Shereda
Undergraduate Lab Assistant

B.S. Genomics and Molecular Genetics (in progress), Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Edmund Wooldridge
Undergraduate Lab Assistant

B.S. College of Natural Science - Statistics (in progress), Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Former Members
Visiting Assistant Professors
Kevin Childs
Kevin Childs

Assistant Professor-Fixed Term, Michigan State University
Norma Constanza Manrique-Carpintero

Research Assistant Professor, Michigan State University
Visiting Research Associates
Bishwo Adhikari
Research Geneticist, USDA-ARS
Rebecca Davidson
Assistant Professor, National Jewish Hospital
Joseph Evans
Research Scientist, Dupont Pioneer
Grant Godden

Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Florida
Vinita Joardar

RefSeq Scientist at National Center for Biotechnology Information
Elsa Gongora-Castillo
Postdoctoral Fellow, North Carolina State University
Malali Gowda

Director, National Centre for Biological Sciences
Candice Hirsch
Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota
Cory Hirsch
Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota
Jeongwoon Kim
Computational Biologist, Monsanto
Dae Kwan Ko

Postdoctoral Associate, Michigan State University
Courtney Leisner

Assistant Professor, Auburn University
Haining Lin

Research Scientist, Bioinformatics at Dupont Pioneer
Alicia Massa

Visiting Research Associate, Michigan State University
Rachel Naegele
Research Geneticist at USDA-ARS
Lina Quesada-Ocampo
Assistant Professor, North Carolina State University
Millicent Sanciangco

Core Facilities Coordinator, Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center
Lindsay Triplett

Agricultural Scientist, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
Research Assistants
Emily Crisovan

Linsey Newton

Jason Cepela
Morgan Chaires

Mike Geoffroy

Melanie Hardin
Kranti Konganti

Steven Lundback

Krystle Wiegert-Rininger

Andy Whittam

Brett Whitty

Visiting Scholars
Andrew Wiersma
Ian Beddows

Graduate Students
Michael Hardigan

Ph.D., Plant Breeding, Genetics, & Biotechnology Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Laboratory Assistants
Daniel Aaron

Ogie Avramovska
Laura Bonefeld

Carolyn Botting

Megan Conway

Jessica Goldsworthy
Alex Gore
Marc Habermann
Katie Heslip
Emily Hilliker
Rachael Hume
Joe Korolewicz

Omar Mcgiveron

Byron Oja

Paul Rosemurgy

Elizabeth Straley

Christopher Thorburn
Jennifer Willner

Jemison Yewah

Undergraduate Interns
Terin Budine

Lauren Chong

Natalie Fox

Rene Ludwig

Lillian Oglesby

Faerlin Pulido
