Shuxiao Zhang: Plant Direct First Author

Shuxiao (Susan) Zhang, first author of Root vacuolar sequestration and suberization are prominent responses of Pistacia spp. rootstocks during salinity stress

Current Position: PhD student in the Plant Biology Graduate Program at University of California Davis

Education: BS in plant biology, University of California Davis, PhD in biomedical sciences, University of California San Diego

Non-scientific Interests: tea, reading, drawing

Brief bio: Shuxiao has a long standing interest in molecular biology and has returned to pursue research on abiotic stress responses in plants after a detour in biomedical sciences. She is very interested in the effects of abiotic stress in perennial species in particular, given the long term effects of global climate change. In her recent work, she explored mechanisms behind salinity tolerance in the roots of pistachios, a perennial nut crop known for its relatively high salinity tolerance.