Holden Forest and Gardens Affiliates
David J. Burke PhD,
Research Scientist, Holden Forests & Gardens
Adjunct Assistant Professor Case Western Reserve University
My research focuses on symbiotic relationships between plants and microorganisms using molecular methods. A special focus of my laboratory is the relationships between plants and mycorrhizal fungi that colonize plant roots. Our work seeks to further understanding of the relationship between environmental change and the diversity and function of mycorrhizal fungi, as well as the importance of these fungi for plant growth, reproduction and disease resistance.
My research at Holden has been enhanced and expanded by collaborations with Jean Burns and Mike Benard at CWRU, with research exploring plant-soil feedbacks and the role of microorganisms on amphibian health. I have also had exciting and productive collaborations with Kristen Lukas and Pam Dennis at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in examining how microorganisms in zoo housed animals may be affected by diet and heart disease.
Sarah Kyker, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Burke lab, Holden Forests & Gardens
I am a microbial ecologist focused on understanding both small- and large-scale environmental drivers of microbial community structure. I primarily study bacteria and fungi in deciduous forest soils because these groups make up a large portion of the microbial diversity in soils and because they are vital for many ecosystem processes, such as decomposition. To identify bacteria and fungi in forest soils, I use molecular and DNA sequencing techniques. The goal of my research is to help elucidate the importance of environmental changes to the health of an ecosystem when these changes affect the smallest inhabitants.
While I primarily use DNA sequencing techniques for studying microorganisms in forest soil, these techniques can be applied to fungi and bacteria broadly. Through collaborations between the Burke lab at Holden and CWRU and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, I have been involved with studies that identified root-associated fungi during a restoration of a golf course, bacteria living on frog skin in natural populations, and bacteria found in giraffe fecal samples at a zoo.
Research Scientist, Holden Forests & Gardens
Adjunct Assistant Professor Case Western Reserve University
My research focuses on understanding the complex relationship between plants and climate, particularly how stressful climates impact plant performance, water relations and resource allocation, and the role of climate variability across space and time in shaping the diversity of plant life on Earth. I take an interdisciplinary approach, combining methods from physiological ecology, evolutionary biology and systems biology to conduct comparative studies using genus Rhododendron as a model system.
Since coming to Holden, my research has been greatly enhanced by collaboration with the Burns Lab at CWRU, allowing me to explore new areas of interest such as phylogenetic comparative methods and plant soil feedbacks. In addition, working with faculty and staff at CNMH has had a positive impact on my public outreach, by providing outreach opportunities, fossil plant teaching materials, and many insightful conversations about science communication.
Na Wei, PhD
Research Scientist, Holden Forests & Gardens
I am an evolutionary ecologist and geneticist interested in eco-evolutionary adaptation to environmental change. My research program tackles this fundamental question through the lenses of functional ecology, genomics and microbiome.
Our projects use interdisciplinary approaches, integrating plant ecophysiology, microbial ecology, community ecology, population genomics, phylogenetics, and quantitative genetics. As a new member of the research team at Holden, I look forward to joining the community and network of the BioScience Alliance.
Katie Stuble, PhD
Research Scientist, Holden Forests & Gardens
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Case Western Reserve University
My lab thinks about the basic mechanisms underlying the maintenance of diversity within communities, as well as how global change (both climate change and non-native species) may alter these communities and the services they provide. In particular, I study how interactions among species shape our ecosystems, and how these might be altered by various global change drivers. I’m interested in understanding these dynamics to help us predict what biotic communities might look like in the future, but also to understand how we might most effectively restore degraded ecosystems.