CORE TEAM
Christoph B. Rosche
Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (Germany)
Principal investigator of iCONNECT
My research focuses on disentangling population ecological processes that drive the local spread or decline of plant populations. I am particularly interested in how environmental gradients determine the genomic structure of populations and phenotypic among-population variation through local adaptation. I use Conyza canadensis, Centaurea stoebe, and Plantago lanceolata as model species to study eco-evolutionary principles at contemporary time scales.
Dávid U. Nagy
Goethe University Frankfurt (Germany)
Network coordinator of iCONNECT
I am an evolutionary plant ecologist studying the rapid evolution of plant populations, with a particular focus on invasive species. My research examines how populations differ between native and non-native regions, emphasizing the role of environmental adaptation in shaping among-population variation. To investigate these processes, I conduct greenhouse and field experiments, as well as observational studies. Additionally, I integrate population genetic approaches with metabolomic and genomic analyses to understand the eco-evolutionary mechanisms driving local adaptation. My model species include Conyza canadensis and Solidago gigantea, among others.
​
Marilia S. Lucas
Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (Germany)
PhD student
My project applies ddRADseq analyses to identify molecular mechanisms of rapid evolution in native and non-native Conyza canadensis populations. I use landscape genomics to unravel adaptive and non-adaptive drivers of the global genomic structure of this cosmopolitan weed.
Arpad E. Thoma
Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (Germany)
PhD student
My research focuses on understanding how plant–fungal interactions contribute to plant invasion success, with particular emphasis on their biogeographical context. I critically examine how spatio-environmental variation within native and non-native ranges influences belowground interactions, including relationships with pathogens and mutualists.
Ylva Lekberg
MPG Ranch, Florence, Montana (USA)
General CoPI of iCONNECT
Ylva’s research focuses on interactions between plants and soil biota and how these interactions may influence plant invasive success as well as restoration trajectories of degraded grasslands. She is also interested in cost-benefit relationships in mycorrhizal associations and uses molecular and isotope approaches to characterize microbial communities and their associated function.
Ragan M. Callaway
University of Montana, Missoula (USA)
General CoPI of iCONNECT
The primary focus of Ray’s research is on interactions among plants. These include direct interactions, such as competition for resources, allelopathy, and facilitation; and indirect interactions mediated by herbivores, soil microbes, and other plants. Most of his current work is on interactions between exotic invaders and native species.
Nicole M. van Dam
Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, Großbeeren (Germany)
General CoPI of iCONNECT
Nicole’s aim is to unravel the chemical and molecular mechanisms governing multitrophic interactions associated with plants. She specifically focuses on interactions between plant roots and belowground herbivores. She uses metabolomic and transcriptomic approaches as well as manipulative experiments to study these interactions in the greenhouse as well as in the field.
Walter Durka
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Halle (Germany)
General CoPI of iCONNECT
Walter’s main focus is molecular ecology - the application of molecular DNA-based methods to study aspects of the ecology of plants and animals. He analyzes patterns of genetic and genomic variation at levels of individuals, clones, populations, regions, species up to communities to reveal historical to recent processes connected to gene flow, genetic drift, and selection on various spatial and time scales.
Manzoor A. Shah
University of Kashmir, Srinagar (India)
Project PI: Field herbivory studies
The broad focus of Manzoor’s research is to understand the patterns and impacts of plant invasions, both in terrestrial and aquatic systems, from a biogeographic perspective. He uses macro-ecological and molecular ecological approaches to unravel the impacts of invasive species and their variations across native and non-native regions, besides being interested in interactions of plant invaders with herbivores and rhizosphere biota.
Karin Schrieber
University of Kiel (Germany)
Project PI: Studies on volatile communcation in response to herbivory
Karin's research focuses on the effects of global change on co-evolved traits in plant biotic interactions and their feedback on the various facets of communication and resource exchange among component species. She integrates stress manipulation experiments, behavioural assays, metabolomics, and population genomics to study the direct effect of altered abiotic stress regimes on endangered or invasive plant species and on their interactions with herbivores, pollinators, or microbiota.
Caio Brunhharo
Pennsylvania State University, State College (USA)
Project PI: Studies on climate adaptation and land use studies, and pangenomics and glyphosate resistance
Caio's research program is interested in generating basic and applied knowledge to minimize the impacts of invasive plant species in agriculture in a world threatened by climate change and food insecurity. His primary goal is to understand how plant populations adapt to future climate and land use changes, with a focus on agricultural activities.
Min Sheng
Northwest A&F University, Xianyang (China)
Project PI: Studies on enhanced mutualism
Min’s research program is mainly to figure out how the community structure and function of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) may affect and be affected by adaptive evolution. She uses Conyza canadensis as a model species to conduct field surveys and common garden experiments, reveal host loci controlling heritability of AMF and validate if these inherited AMF could help C. canadensis invasion.
S. Luke Flory
University of Florida, Gainesville (USA)
Project PI: Interactive roles of enemies and mutualists
Luke’s research focuses on the mechanisms and impacts of non-native species invasions with the goal of understanding mechanisms and impacts of invasions, and the long-term consequences of interactions between invasive species and other global change drivers such as climate change, emerging pathogens, and urbanization. His explores basic and applied questions in natural and managed ecosystems such as the highlands of Galápagos, coffee agroecosystems in Costa Rica, eastern deciduous forests in the US, and pine forests and managed systems in Florida.
Abdelmajid Khabbach
Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez (Morocco)
Project PI: Studies on salinity stress response
Abdelmajid is interested in scientific research in botany, taxonomy, conservation and enhancement of plants and general ecology. An important part in his research is the conservation of Moroccan endemic flora, as well as the investigation of the active ingredient composition and bioactivity of the medicinal plants from the Moroccan region.