LUIS C. MEJÍA

Education:

• 2009. Ph.D. Plant Biology and Pathology. Rutgers University

• 2002. B.Sc. Biology with orientation in Microbiology and Parasitology. University of Panama

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Previous Appointments:

• 2010-2014. Tupper Postdoctoral Fellow. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

• 2009-2010. Postdoctoral Scholar. The Pennsylvania State University.

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My scientific research have focused primarily on the ecology, genetics, and systematics of plant associated microfungi, particularly on endophytes and pathogens, and why some fungi are beneficial while their close relatives are pathogens.

My approaches includes the use of basic microbiology techniques and cultural methods, genomics (metagenomics, transcriptomics, whole genome sequencing) to gain a comprehensive understanding of, what species compose microbiomes of tropical organisms and ecosystems?, what the functional role of these microbial communities or individual species are?, and how can we use the knowledge generated to manage diseases that affects society?