I am a plant bioinformatician passionate about understanding how complex traits evolve in plants, particularly through the lens of plant-microbe interactions. My research interests centre on the evolution of nitrogen-fixing symbioses in legumes and how these traits can be harnessed to advance sustainable agriculture. To address these questions, I apply comparative genomics, transcriptomics, and machine learning to non-model legumes in the genus Chamaecrista, which uniquely includes species with and without organelle-like symbiosomes. By comparing closely related species, I aim to pinpoint the genetic innovations that enabled the evolution of these nitrogen-fixing structures.
Currently, I am a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Fellow at the University of Oxford, working with Professor Philip Poole on the ENSA project. I studied and worked at Wageningen University, Cornell University, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Utrecht University, and Erasmus University, where I built my expertise in molecular biology and bioinformatics and developed a strong interest in how research can be applied to real-world challenges in sustainable agriculture. Ultimately, I aim to use my skills to help reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers, improve food security, and translate fundamental discoveries into practical solutions.
