معرفی
Marin Talbot Brewer serves as the Department Head and William Terrell Distinguished Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology within the College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences at the University of Georgia. Her leadership extends across academic, research, and administrative domains with a distinguished career trajectory from Assistant Professor (2011) to her current distinguished professorship (2022-present).
Dr. Brewer's educational background includes a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology from Cornell University (2011), an M.S. in Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences from the University of Maine (2003), and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Cincinnati (1998).
Her research program focuses on the evolution and diversity of plant-pathogenic fungi, with particular emphasis on understanding the genetic basis of emerging fungal threats to plants and people. The Brewer Mycology Lab employs population genetics, population genomics, comparative genomics, and molecular phylogenetics to investigate evolutionary processes that contribute to population-level diversity, species formation, and diversification. Key research areas include the genetic basis for differences in pathogenicity and virulence, how agriculture shapes fungal population structure, phylogeography, fungal mating systems, and solving epidemiological problems including sources of inoculum and evolution of fungicide resistance. Recent work has concentrated on azole resistance in the human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus in environmental settings.
Analysis of Dr. Brewer's recent publications reveals a strong focus on antifungal resistance mechanisms, particularly in Aspergillus fumigatus, with significant contributions to understanding the agricultural origins of clinical resistance. Her work bridges plant pathology and medical mycology, demonstrating how agricultural fungicide use impacts resistance development in human pathogens. Additional research examines emerging plant diseases including gummy stem blight in cucurbits, target spot in cotton, tar spot in corn, and Exobasidium leaf spot in blueberries.
- Student Career Success Influencer Award (2024)
- William Terrell Distinguished Professorship (2022)
- W.H. Weston Award for Excellence in Teaching (2022)
- DW Brooks Award for Excellence in Teaching (2021)
- CAES Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award (2019)
Dr. Brewer actively mentors graduate students and has secured substantial funding for her research, including USDA NIFA SCRI grants like "SAM: Sustainable Anthracnose Management for Watermelon and Cucumber Growers in the Eastern U.S." Her lab has received funding from diverse sources including USDA NIFA, CDC, Cotton Incorporated, Peanut Foundation, and UGA internal grants. Current research projects investigate population genomics of fungicide resistance in Colletotrichum species and azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus across agricultural environments.
The Brewer Mycology Lab maintains active collaborations across institutions and disciplines, with research extending from fundamental fungal evolutionary biology to practical disease management solutions for agricultural producers. The lab's work on environmental reservoirs of antifungal resistance has significant implications for both agricultural and clinical settings.
