Research in the lab focuses on the ecology and evolution of plant symbioses, using leaf microbes as our main study system. We are particularly interested in understanding how symbiotic microbial communities assemble, and what are the role for their functional traits and phylogenetic history in driving their contemporary distribution and symbiotic associations.

Our current research projects address three main questions:

• What are the main drivers of host species range in leaf bacteria?
  
• How does urbanization affect leaf microbial community assembly through spatial and temporal scales?
  
• What roles does the plant microbiota play in plant resistance or vulnerability to disease?