Rachel Hestrin

Rachel Hestrin is an Assistant Professor at the Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts Amherst, specializing in plant-microbe-soil interactions and ecosystem responses to environmental change. Her research integrates multidisciplinary approaches across scales, from molecular to field-level studies.

• Educational background: B.A. from University of California-Berkeley (2006), M.S./Ph.D. from Cornell University (2018).
• Professional experience: DOE SCGSR Fellow (2017-2020) at the Joint Genome Institute, Postdoctoral Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (2018-2021).

Research Focus: The Hestrin lab investigates rhizosphere and hyphosphere processes that influence plant productivity, stress tolerance, soil organic matter dynamics, and nutrient cycling. Key questions include microbial mediation of plant nutrient acquisition, functional diversity of mycorrhizal fungal communities, and environmental impacts on soil organic matter inputs. The lab employs isotope-enabled genomics, cellular imaging, and multi-farm field trials to address these challenges.

Scientific Contributions: Recognized as a DOE SCGSR Fellow, Dr. Hestrin’s work bridges sustainable agriculture practices with fundamental ecosystem science. Her research explores how agricultural management can optimize plant-microbe symbiosis for carbon sequestration and nutrient efficiency.

Laboratory & Collaborations: Based in Paige Laboratory 416, the lab collaborates across disciplines to integrate genomics with agronomic field studies, focusing on rhizosphere dynamics and hyphosphere interactions.