Dr. Ina Säumel is a scientific collaborator at the Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences at Humboldt University of Berlin. Her work bridges urban ecology, biodiversity conservation, and socio-cultural dimensions of sustainability through participatory approaches. Research Focus : Urban sustainability transitions, nature-based solutions, medicinal plants, and climate change adaptation. Key Projects : Edible City Solutions, biochar conversion from agro-residues, and biodiversity assessments in urban cemeteries. Geographic Scope : Uruguay, Andes, South Tyrol, and Berlin. Emphasis on post-industrial and water-sensitive cities. Her recent publications highlight interdisciplinary methods in co-creation, land-use impacts on metacommunity structures, and health-promoting urban green spaces. Contact: ina.saeumel@hu-berlin.de
Gideon Hartman is an Associate Professor in the Anthropology Department at the University of Connecticut, where he conducts interdisciplinary research at the intersection of paleoenvironmental reconstruction, plant and animal eco-physiology, anthropology, and archaeology. His work primarily employs stable isotope methods to reconstruct past environments, human mobility patterns, paleodiets, and ancient economic systems. Dr. Hartman received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 2008. His educational foundation in anthropology and archaeological science has enabled his innovative approach to stable isotope analysis. Rather than treating isotopic values as static markers, he investigates the mechanisms causing variability in stable isotope ratios as they move along foodwebs from soil and atmosphere to plants and then to animals and humans. Hartman's research program uniquely begins in the contemporary world to establish principles that can be reliably applied to archaeological settings. His work spans diverse geographical regions including the Eastern Mediterranean, Levant, Jordan Valley, and Armenian Highlands, with temporal coverage from the Middle Pleistocene to the Early Bronze Age. He has made significant contributions to understanding how environmental factors like water availability, temperature, and soil conditions affect isotopic signatures in modern ecosystems, creating robust models for archaeological interpretation. His publication record demonstrates consistent productivity in high-impact journals, with research trends showing increasing sophistication in multi-isotope approaches applied to complex archaeological questions about pastoralism, trade networks, human migration, and human-environment interactions. His work increasingly integrates zooarchaeological, archaeobotanical, and geochemical evidence to build comprehensive pictures of past societies. As director of the Stable Isotope Preparation Lab at UConn, Hartman leads a research team that processes and analyzes samples from archaeological sites worldwide. His laboratory serves as a hub for interdisciplinary collaboration between archaeologists, anthropologists, geoscientists, and biologists seeking to apply isotopic methods to their research questions. His work has been instrumental in refining methodologies for interpreting strontium, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope data in archaeological contexts, particularly regarding animal and human mobility patterns in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
Kevin Kohl is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh, where he joined in 2017 after completing his Ph.D. at the University of Utah and postdoctoral research at Universidad Nacional de San Luis (Argentina) and Vanderbilt University. His work bridges microbial ecology, physiological adaptation, and evolutionary biology with a focus on vertebrate digestive systems. Education: Ph.D., University of Utah, 2015 (Advisor: Dr. Denise Dearing) Postdoctoral Research, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Argentina (with Dr. Enrique Caviedes-Vidal) Postdoctoral Research, Vanderbilt University (with Dr. Seth Bordenstein) Dr. Kohl's research centers on how host ecology and evolutionary history shape digestive physiology and gut microbial communities, particularly in herbivorous mammals and lizards coping with low-protein, high-fiber, and toxin-rich diets. The Kohl Lab employs comparative, experimental, and computational approaches across fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals to uncover functional implications and mechanistic bases of host-microbe relationships. Key research themes include phylosymbiosis, thermal physiology, nutritional ecology, and microbial dynamics in conservation contexts. His recent publications (2023-2025) reveal consistent exploration of diet-microbiome-physiology interactions, with emerging emphasis on methodological innovation (e.g., cryopreservation techniques, museum specimen analysis), climate change impacts on ectotherms, and accessibility in field research. Work spans fundamental mechanisms like gastric lysozyme evolution to applied conservation hologenomics initiatives. Dr. Kohl advises graduate students in biological sciences and leads the Kohl Lab, which maintains active international collaborations. The lab emphasizes rigorous experimental design while addressing real-world challenges like wildlife conservation microbiome applications and inclusive fieldwork practices. The Kohl Lab operates as a multidisciplinary hub investigating host-microbe interactions through projects including Integrative Nutritional Physiology, Landscape Variation in Pond Microbiomes, and Microbial Ecology of Animals Under Human Care. Current work increasingly integrates hologenomic perspectives to address conservation biology challenges and methodological limitations in microbiome research.
Dr. Peter Zilm is an Associate Professor in the Adelaide Dental School at the University of Adelaide, part of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. His research focuses on bacterial biofilm dynamics, particularly in oral pathogens linked to caries and periodontal disease, and their systemic implications. Key projects include developing oral microbiome transplantation therapies and pH-responsive 'intelligent particles' as antimicrobial agents. Collaborations with chemical engineers and industry aim to advance nano-technological solutions for dental applications. Research interests span biofilm inhibition mechanisms, the gut microbiome's role in gastrointestinal inflammation triggered by periodontitis, and the development of novel antimicrobial coatings for medical devices. His work integrates advanced technologies like cellular impedance (exCELLigence) and next-generation sequencing. He has secured NHMRC funding (2020-25) for oral microbiome transplantation research. Projects are based at the Helen Mayo South Building and involve collaborations with institutions in Spain, the UK, and elsewhere. Dr. Zilm supervises Honours, Masters, and PhD students across multiple translational projects, including anti-biofilm agents, oral microbiome transplantation efficacy, and the relationship between oral bacteria and systemic diseases like cardiovascular issues and cancer. His recent publications highlight innovations in nano-technology, biofilm disruption, and probiotic interventions for periodontal disease.
Paul Carini is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Science at the University of Arizona. His research focuses on microbial genomics, environmental microbiology, and microbial diversity in extreme environments. He is affiliated with the School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences through a joint Micro Graduate Program. His work emphasizes genomic sequencing of understudied microbes, particularly those from arid soils and subseafloor sediments. He explores microbial adaptation strategies to nutrient-poor and extreme conditions, including anaerobic respiration and toxic gas utilization. Recent studies highlight culturomics advancements, such as high-throughput cultivation and predictive modeling of microbial growth. Key contributions include genome-based taxonomic frameworks for uncultivated archaea and bacteria, and insights into microbial roles in climate change mitigation. His research bridges traditional cultivation methods with modern genomic tools, addressing challenges in capturing Earth's microbial biodiversity.
Rainer Schuhmacher is a Full Professor for Plant and Microbe Metabolomics at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), affiliated with the Department of Agricultural Sciences and the Institute of Bioanalytics and Agro-Metabolomics in Tulln an der Donau. His research focuses on metabolomics, analytical chemistry, and plant-microbe interactions, with emphasis on fungal secondary metabolites, mycotoxin resistance, and environmental stress responses in crops. He leads projects funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), European Commission, and national agencies. Research interests span: Metabolomic profiling of plant-pathogen interactions (e.g., Fusarium -wheat systems) Stable isotope-assisted techniques for metabolic pathway analysis Cold stress mitigation in plants using Antarctic bacteria Development of computational tools for untargeted metabolomics data processing His work integrates analytical chemistry, bioinformatics, and molecular biology to study metabolic crosstalk in agricultural systems. Awards include the Fritz-Feigl-Preis (2012) and Dr.-Wolfgang-Houska-Preis (2005). He has supervised multiple PhD projects and leads the Plant-Microbe Metabolomics group, managing core metabolomics platforms and international collaborations. Key projects: Chemical crosstalk in mycoparasitic interactions (FWF) Metabolomics of cold stress tolerance mediated by psychrotolerant bacteria Extension of metabolomics platforms for plant-pathogen studies
Abigail Johnson, PhD, RD is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Epidemiology & Community Health at the University of Minnesota. She also serves as the Associate Director of the Nutrition Coordinating Center (NCC) and is a Member of the Masonic Cancer Center (MCC). Dr. Johnson earned her PhD in Nutrition and completed her Registered Dietitian (RD) training at the University of Minnesota, where she also obtained her BS in Nutrition Science and Biology. Her research explores the relationships between diet and the human gut microbiome in health and disease using novel computational methods for dietary data. Her current focus areas include: analysis of diet and microbiome after dietary interventions, methods development for dietary data analysis and visualization, and understanding the interactions between foods, microbes, and fungi during different stages of development. She is particularly interested in how diet and the microbiome interact to influence chronic diseases including prediabetes, diabetes, and cancer. Dr. Johnson's research demonstrates significant trends in microbiome analysis, dietary assessment, and computational methods. Her work increasingly focuses on personalized nutrition approaches, longitudinal microbiome dynamics, and the integration of multi-omics data to understand diet-microbe-host interactions in disease contexts. Her scientific contributions include: Development of methods for dietary data analysis and visualization Research on diet-microbiome interactions in chronic diseases Studies on how immigration and dietary changes affect the gut microbiome Investigations into personalized diet-microbiome associations Dr. Johnson actively mentors students and researchers in the fields of nutritional science, microbiome research, and computational biology. Her work has been supported by various research grants focused on understanding the complex relationships between diet, the microbiome, and human health.
Sophia Lunt is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Chemical Engineering & Materials Science at Michigan State University , where she has been since 2015 (Assistant Professor 2015-2021, Associate Professor 2021-2025, Professor 2025-present). She leads the Lunt Lab , focusing on cancer metabolism , particularly metabolic reprogramming in tumor proliferation, heterogeneity, and metastasis . Her work combines mass spectrometry , genetic cancer models , cell biology , and fluorescent agents to develop targeted cancer therapies . Ph.D. (2010) & B.S. (2005) in Chemistry Postdoctoral Fellow at MIT (2010-2015) NSF CAREER awardee (2019) 20+ peer-reviewed publications since 2007 Research Focus : Cancer metabolism (Warburg effect, PHGDH heterogeneity, TIGAR regulation) Photodynamic therapy (counterion-tuned agents, metal halide nanoclusters) Metabolomics (tumor-immune interactions, microbiome effects) Selected Scientific Awards : 2022 MSU College of Natural Science Teacher-Scholar Award 2022 MSU BMB Teaching Award 2020 MANA Young Investigator Award 2019 NSF CAREER & METAvivor Early Career Investigator Awards Her teaching includes BMB 101: Frontiers in Biochemistry (curriculum overhaul for freshman success) and BMB 461: Advanced Biochemistry I , covering metabolic regulation and pathways.
Kyria Boundy-Mills is a Professional Research Microbiologist at the University of California, Davis in the Department of Food Science and Technology , where she has curated the Phaff Yeast Culture Collection since 2001. She maintains this global resource of 9,000 yeast strains for academic, industrial, and governmental researchers. Current research focuses on yeast/insect ecology Screening yeasts for protein, lipid, and carotenoid production Microbial interactions in food fermentations Applications in biofuels and biotechnology Her publications highlight collaborations across entomology, biotechnology, and food microbiology, with applications in wine fermentation, fruit pests, and biofuel production. Awards include the UC Davis Academic Federation Award for Excellence in Research (2015) and the American Society for Microbiology USFCC/J. Roger Porter Award (2016). She advises undergraduate researchers in her lab and contributes to culture collection management standards through the United States Culture Collection Network. Her work intersects microbial diversity, ecological interactions, and industrial innovation.
Jeffrey L. Blanchard is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He holds an AS in Electrical Engineering from Vermont Technical College (1983), BS in Biology from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (1987), and PhD in Botany from University of Georgia (1995). His research uses genomic and computational methods to study gut and forest soil microbiomes, focusing on ecological responses to climate change. Current projects investigate soil community changes in long-term warming experiments at Harvard Forest, leading to discoveries of novel bacterial species and metabolic processes. Dr. Blanchard's laboratory specializes in anaerobic bacterial culturing and molecular biology techniques. His work has implications for probiotics development, climate change understanding, and biotechnology applications.
Camilo Mora is a Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where he maintains an active research laboratory and teaches courses on environmental issues, biogeography, and data analysis. His academic journey began with a BSc in Marine Biology from Universidad del Valle in Colombia (1999), followed by a PhD in Biology from the University of Windsor, Canada (2005). He completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Auckland (2005), Scripps Institution of Oceanography (2006-2008), and Dalhousie University (2008-2010). BSc, Marine Biology, Universidad del Valle, Colombia (1999) PhD, Biology, University of Windsor, Canada (2005) Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Auckland (2005) Postdoctoral Fellow, Scripps Institution of Oceanography (2006-2008) Postdoctoral Fellow, Dalhousie University (2008-2010) Mora's research spans interconnected lines focused on understanding biodiversity patterns and their modification by human activities, with particular emphasis on climate change impacts. His lab specializes in big data analytics applied to diverse environmental challenges including heatwaves, disease transmission, marine ecosystems, and even unconventional topics like Bitcoin's environmental footprint. The Mora Lab operates on a 'divide and conquer' approach to tackle large research questions by breaking data gathering into individual parts that can be concatenated into central databases. Mora has received the CSS Excellence in Research award (2014) for his significant contributions to environmental science. His influential publications include groundbreaking work on the global risk of deadly heat (2017), the projected timing of climate departure from historical variability (2013), and the finding that over half of known human pathogenic diseases can be aggravated by climate change (2022). CSS Excellence in Research (2014) Highly cited publications in Nature and Nature Climate Change Research featured in major international media outlets Development of innovative research methodologies for large-scale analyses Mora leads an active research group that engages students in the full scientific process from idea generation to publication. His approach to mentoring involves creating yearly classes where graduate students, professors, and international advisors collaborate to tackle significant research questions, with papers typically completed within a single semester. His Carbon Neutrality Challenge project, spearheaded by his daughter Asryelle Mora, provides a practical mechanism for individuals to offset carbon emissions through tree planting. The Mora Lab maintains a distinctive approach to environmental research, working on seemingly diverse topics from reef fishes to Bitcoin, united by their reliance on big data analytics. This interdisciplinary methodology has produced impactful research across multiple domains of environmental science and climate change impacts, establishing Mora as a significant contributor to our understanding of humanity's environmental challenges.
Bouke de Jong is a Professor and Unit Head of Mycobacteriology at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium. She holds a PhD and MD in Medicine, alongside an MSc in Epidemiology from the Netherlands Institute for Health Sciences and the University of Amsterdam. Her research focuses on molecular epidemiology of Mycobacterium species, including tuberculosis (TB), Buruli Ulcer, and leprosy, emphasizing improved diagnostics, treatment optimization, and evaluating public health interventions to curb transmission. Supported by an ERC Starting Grant, she leads a team studying the impact of interventions on disease spread in endemic regions. Education and Academic Qualifications: PhD in Medicine, University of Amsterdam MD in Medicine MSc in Epidemiology, Netherlands Institute for Health Sciences Research Interests: Improved molecular diagnostics for TB, Buruli Ulcer, and leprosy Phylogeography and phylodynamics of Mycobacterium species Optimized treatment regimens for drug-resistant strains Public health strategies to reduce transmission Grant and Project Activity: Dr. de Jong oversees 82 active projects, including ERC-funded research on drug-resistant TB lineages and USAID-supported Tuberculosis Implementation Framework Agreements (TIFA DRC). Notable collaborations involve studies in The Gambia, Rwanda, Niger, the Comoros, and Cuba, addressing TB epidemiology, drug resistance, and clinical intervention efficacy. Scientific Contributions: Her work has advanced understanding of M. africanum, transmission dynamics of M. leprae, and the development of rapid diagnostic methods like ethanol-based RNA preservation and tongue swab culturing. She advocates for global health security funding and participates in clinical trials optimizing treatments for multidrug-resistant infections.
Zeynep Atamer is an Assistant Professor at Oregon State University's Food Science and Technology Department, affiliated with the Food Innovation Center in Portland, OR. Her research focuses on dairy science and technology, particularly bacteriophage dynamics, spore inactivation, milk protein behavior, membrane processing, and food safety optimization. Primary affiliation: Oregon State University, Food Innovation Center Department: Food Science and Technology Research interests include: Dairy bacteriophages and their thermal/non-thermal inactivation Spore-forming bacteria in dairy processing Milk protein fractionation and functional properties Membrane separation technologies for dairy applications Cheese and fermentation process optimization Development of phage-free dairy products and sensitive detection systems Recent publications highlight advancements in UV-C/phage reduction strategies, casein-based material development, bitter peptide characterization in cheese, and encapsulation technologies for microbial control. Key subfields include dairy processing stressors, whey protein stability, and gut microbiota modulation via phage delivery. Her work integrates industrial-scale validation with lab-to-commercial translation, addressing critical challenges in dairy safety and functionality through interdisciplinary approaches spanning microbiology, biochemistry, and food engineering.
Mandy de Wilde is an Assistant Professor at Leiden University's Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology within the Social and Behavioural Sciences faculty. Her research focuses on environmental anthropology, political ecology, and Science and Technology Studies (STS), exploring sustainable farming practices, indigenous crop valuation, and climate resilience in Northwestern Europe. She conducts fieldwork at the PolderLab Vrouwe Venne, studying experimental farming with wet crops like rice and cranberries. Previously, she held postdoctoral positions at the University of Amsterdam, Wageningen University, and the University of Antwerp, and was a visiting fellow at institutions including the University of Edinburgh and Humboldt University Berlin. Her work examines intersections of ecological, economic, and social relations, emphasizing more-than-human agency and gendered normativities in sustainability movements. She teaches courses on economy-ecology linkages, anthropological research methods, and urban belonging. Notable publications include studies on rats as political agents in Amsterdam and gender dynamics in zero-waste living. Her research bridges academic inquiry with practical experiments in sustainable agriculture and urban ecologies.
Solomon Amissah is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Washington State University (WSU), affiliated with the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences and based at the Lind Dryland Research Station. His research focuses on crop and soil sciences, with an emphasis on nutrient management, irrigation, soil health, and sustainable cropping systems for corn, cotton, and other agronomic crops. Education: Ph.D. in Crop and Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, Tifton, USA (2020–2023) MPhil in Plant Breeding, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana (2014–2016) B.Sc. in Agriculture, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana (2008–2012) His research interests span agronomy, soil fertility, plant nutrition, irrigation management, and regenerative agricultural practices. He investigates how adaptive nutrient strategies, cover cropping, and organic amendments influence crop productivity and soil health, particularly in highly weathered and dryland systems. His work bridges field experimentation with extension outreach, aiming to improve sustainable production systems for farmers. The recent articles reflect a strong focus on nutrient dynamics in corn and cotton, with recurring themes in soil health, micronutrient management, irrigation, and conservation practices. His publications frequently appear in agronomy and plant science journals, and he actively presents findings at national conferences such as the ASA, CSSA, and SSSA meetings. Professional Memberships: Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), 2020–Present American Society of Agronomy (ASA), 2020–Present Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), 2020–Present Solomon Amissah has contributed to numerous extension bulletins and outreach events, including field days at the University of Georgia and WSU. His work is applied in nature, aiming to translate research findings into practical recommendations for growers. While no formal advisees or grants are listed, his collaborative publications suggest active engagement in multidisciplinary research teams. He is involved in research at the Lind Dryland Research Station, focusing on wheat, alternative crops, weed and disease control, soil fertility, erosion control, and residue management in one of the nation's driest grain-producing regions.
