Jeongmin Choi

Dr. Jeongmin Choi is a Royal Society University Research Fellow and Group Leader in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge's School of Biological Sciences. She heads the Crop Resilience Group based at the Crop Science Centre, focusing on molecular mechanisms of nutrient signaling in plant-microbe interactions.

Her educational background includes a PhD in Plant, Insect and Microbial Sciences from the University of Missouri (2008-2013), an MSc in Crop Science and Biotechnology from Seoul National University (2006-2008), and dual bachelor's degrees in Agriculture and Archaeology/Art History from Seoul National University (2001-2006).

Dr. Choi's research centers on how nutrient signaling regulates arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in crops, with the long-term goal of improving crop nutrient uptake to reduce dependency on environmentally costly fertilizers. Her work bridges plant molecular biology, nutrient signaling pathways, and sustainable agriculture, contributing significantly to global food security research.

Analysis of her publication record shows consistent high-impact research in plant-microbe symbiosis, particularly in rice systems, with a progression from fundamental receptor identification to complex signaling pathway elucidation. Her work spans molecular genetics, signal transduction, and crop improvement strategies, demonstrating both theoretical depth and practical applications for sustainable agriculture.

• Royal Society University Research Fellow
• Leverhulme Early Career Fellow
• EMBO Long-term Fellow

As a Royal Society University Research Fellow and Principal Investigator, Dr. Choi leads an independent research group with significant funding support. Her research program aims to provide solutions to global food security challenges through improved understanding of plant nutrient acquisition mechanisms, with potential applications in reducing fertilizer dependency while maintaining crop yields. She is affiliated with the Cambridge Global Food Security initiative and contributes to interdisciplinary research on sustainable agricultural systems.

Dr. Choi leads the Crop Resilience Group at the Crop Science Centre, where her team employs advanced techniques including plant genetics, transcriptome analysis, protein-interaction studies, and subcellular imaging to investigate molecular mechanisms underlying plant symbiosis and nutrient signaling. Her research group is part of the broader Plant Sciences Department network collaborating on sustainable crop solutions.