Matthew Brooks

Matthew Brooks is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and the School of Integrative Biology. His research focuses on integrating transcriptomic and physiological measurements to uncover gene regulatory networks coordinating photosynthesis and nitrogen use in plants.

• Education:
• B.S. in Plant Biology from Michigan State University
• Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of California-Berkeley
• NIH-NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow at New York University's Center for Genomics and Systems Biology

Brooks employs a systems biology approach to investigate molecular factors in photosynthesis-nitrogen coordination, natural genetic variation influencing metabolic crosstalk, and strategies for improving nitrogen use efficiency in crops. His work has implications for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from nitrogen fertilizers and understanding cellular network responses to climate change.

Recent publications highlight his contributions to nitrogen signaling dynamics, transcription factor interactions, and computational modeling of plant regulatory networks. Key journals include Plant, Cell & Environment, Nature Communications, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

• Scientific Awards:
• NIH-NRSA Postdoctoral Fellowship

Brooks collaborates with researchers such as Gloria M. Coruzzi and Krishna K. Niyogi, bridging basic research in model species with applied crop improvement projects. His methodologies combine genomics, phenotyping, and computational biology to address environmental signaling challenges.