Megan McDonald

Dr Megan McDonald is an Assistant Professor in the School of Biosciences at the University of Birmingham. Her research focuses on identifying and characterizing virulence genes in fungal pathogens of wheat and barley using next-generation sequencing tools. She specializes in long-read de novo genome assembly, genome annotation, and transposon analysis. Recent work explores transposon-mediated horizontal gene transfer and 3D chromosomal reconstruction techniques derived from sequencing data.

Dr. McDonald holds a PhD in Plant Pathology from ETH Zürich (2012) and was awarded a Swiss National Science Foundation Fellowship for postdoctoral research at the Australian National University. In Australia, she was funded by wheat growers to study fungal plant pathogens, particularly genome plasticity and fungicide resistance. In 2020, she secured a Birmingham Fellowship to establish her independent research group at the University of Birmingham.

Research Interests:

• Genomics of fungal pathogens
• Horizontal gene transfer mechanisms
• 3D chromosomal reconstruction using sequencing data
• Population genetics of plant pathogens
• Long-read sequencing applications
• Fungicide resistance dynamics

Professional Memberships:

• Member of the British Society for Plant Pathology
• Member of the American Society for Microbiology
• Member of the Genetics Society of America

Advising & Grants: Dr. McDonald has been funded by wheat growers in Australia and currently holds a Birmingham Fellowship. While no specific student names are listed, she actively supervises postgraduate research projects and encourages inquiries through her email. Her work integrates cutting-edge genomic tools to address agricultural challenges posed by fungal pathogens.

Labs & Teams: As a Birmingham Fellow, her research group at the University of Birmingham focuses on advancing genomics-based strategies to combat plant diseases. Collaborations emphasize transposon dynamics and pathogen adaptation, leveraging interdisciplinary approaches to enhance crop resilience.