Matthew L. Fabian: Plant Physiology First Author

Matthew L. Fabian. co-first author of “The Flowering Time Regulator FLK Controls Pathogen Defense in Arabidopsis thaliana”

Current Position:

ORISE Postdoctoral Scholar, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service

Education:

Ph.D., Biological Sciences

Non-scientific Interests:

playing drums and guitar; ancient history; European travel; veganism

Brief bio

After leaving a career in business analytics and geographic information systems (GIS), I earned my Ph.D. at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) in 2021. My thesis research, investigating new roles in biotic and abiotic stress responses for a flowering regulatory gene in Arabidopsis, was conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Hua Lu. Presently I am researching mechanisms of bacterial and fungal pathogen defense in solanaceous crops, including tomato, potato, and pepper, at the USDA-ARS Genetic Improvement for Fruits and Vegetables Laboratory (GIFVL) in Beltsville, Maryland USA. In our laboratory, we apply breeding, molecular biology, and bioinformatics tools to elucidate and enhance defense against agricultural pathogens that are the causal agents of plant diseases such as anthracnose, potato scab, and late blight.