Biography:
Sara Gebremeskel Hailemariam is a molecular plant pathologist whose research focuses on plant immune signaling, gene editing, and the development of resilient crops under biotic and abiotic stress. She earned her Ph.D. in Botany and Plant Pathology from Purdue University, where she characterized receptor-like cytoplasmic kinases (RLCKs) in tomato and uncovered their roles in defence signaling and light-mediated plant–pathogen interactions. She is currently a Postdoctoral Scientist at Corteva Agriscience in Johnston, Iowa, where she works on resistance gene discovery in a major crop. Her research combines molecular biology, functional genomics, and multi-omics approaches. She is passionate about global food security and sustainable agriculture and actively engages in professional development and outreach, including youth policy boards and agricultural innovation forums.
Title : Two for the price of one: Tomato TPK09 sensitizes plants to both pathogen attack and light stress