Recognizing Plant Direct authors: Zainab ALJbory

Zainab ALJbory, first author of Differential Localization of Hessian Fly Candidate Effectors in Resistant and Susceptible Wheat Plants

Current Position: Postdoc. Research Associate

Education: B.S. in Plant Protection and M.S. in Entomology from University of Baghdad- Iraq. Ph.D. in Molecular Entomology, Department of Entomology, Kansas State University

Non-scientific Interests: reading, hiking, gardening, cooking, and traveling

Brief bio: I started my career in Pest Management after earning a bachelor’s degree in a Plant Protection major at the University of Baghdad- Iraq.  Because of my passion for research, I continued my study to gain a Master’s degree in Entomology from the same university. Following my dream, I joined Kansas State University in 2013 to further my Ph.D. program at the Department of Entomology. I am currently doing my Postdoc. Research in the Chen lab. My research focuses on studying interactions between wheat and Hessian fly at a molecular and cellular level. The goal is to reveal more information about the role of Hessian fly effectors in insect virulence and molecular mechanisms behind plant resistance.