Ronald Myers, Jr.: Plant Physiology First Author

Ronald Myers, Jr., first author of “Extracellular ATP plays an important role in systemic wound response activation”

Current Position: Graduate Research Assistant/Ph.D. Student in the Division of Plant Science and Technology, Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri

Education: BSc in Biochemistry at the University of Missouri (2020)

Non-scientific interests: Guitar, Saxophone, Music Production, Weightlifting, Racquetball, Sports

Brief bio: Throughout my life, I have always had a strong love for science. However, even though I grew up in a rural area dominated by agriculture, it was not until relatively recently that I discovered my strong interest in plant science. My introduction to the field came during the junior year of my undergraduate education, which is when I first became involved with research in the lab of Dr. Ron Mittler. I quickly realized that I found plant science to be extremely interesting, and ultimately, this has led me down the road to completing a Ph.D project in plant stress biology. My current projects are primarily focused on the investigation of systemic signals following stress within plants, with a specific emphasis on the molecular mechanisms involved in ROS signaling. In the future, I plan to continue advancing my research interests and discover knowledge leading to necessary agricultural advancements to combat the effects of a rapidly changing environment.