Ravi Palanivelu

Ravi Palanivelu is a Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Arizona's College of Agriculture, Life & Environmental Sciences. His research focuses on plant reproduction mechanisms, particularly overcoming hybridization barriers in Brassicaceae and developing heat-tolerant tomato varieties. He leads the Palanivelu Lab, investigating pollen tube-pistil interactions in Arabidopsis and tomato to understand molecular mechanisms underlying plant fertility and environmental stress responses.

Education: Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Georgia (1998), M.S. in Plant Breeding and Genetics from Tamil Nadu Agriculture University (1992), and B.S. in Agriculture from Annamalai University (1989). Postdoctoral training at the University of Chicago under Dr. Daphne Preuss (1999–2005).

Research interests include pollen tube guidance, synergid cell signaling, and the role of genes like LORELEI in fertilization. His lab employs interdisciplinary approaches, combining genetics, genomics, and microscopy to study plant reproductive biology. Recent work emphasizes translational applications, such as enhancing crop resilience to heat stress.

Key collaborations include projects with Dr. Anja Geitmann (University of Montreal) and Dr. Mark Johnson (Brown University). The lab has presented at major conferences like Plant Biology 2025 and ASPB, showcasing advancements in pollen biology and reproductive hybridization barriers.