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I am interested in how plants adjust growth and photosynthesis to the different environmental conditions. I focus on the the effects of drought. To do this we place large shelters in the field, that block the rain, and compare plants inside and outside the shelters.

My days are pretty different during the year, but they all have two things in common; PB&J for breakfast and plants! During the summer months I go to the field almost every day and measure my field experiments. Despite waking up super early, I really enjoy these days. Then, late fall through early spring, when it’s too cold for plants to grow outside, I run experiments in the greenhouse and the lab. Usually during winter, I take time to process data, look at my results and reflect on what I’ve learnt from my experiments.

I’m a very interested in bringing plant functioning closer to people. I feel plants are rather overlook and are just considered part of the landscape. If I win the prize money, I will organize an event with local running groups, to showcase the similarities between runners dealing with fatigue and plants dealing with stress.

Probably each runner has it own strategy to deal with fatigue while s/he is running. After talking with several fellow runners, I come to realize all those strategies are well represented in the plant kingdom. For example, some runners try to outrun fatigue, by finishing the race before they feel tired, others power through the pain. Similarly, some plants complete their growth cycle before the winter month (think of an annual crop, such as wheat or corn), while other withstand the winter months (think of evergreen trees, such as pine trees).

I think it would be a great opportunity to help people emphasize with plants at a deeper level, and make connections that they did not thought they had.