I study how plant immune responses are organized at cell-type-specific resolution in the root, and how pathogenic bacteria manipulate the extracellular space to promote their colonization and virulence.
I am an EMBO & Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Pr. Niko Geldner at the Université de Lausanne (UNIL), Switzerland. My current research focuses on divergent evolution of cell type functions in plant immunity, as well as on plant-mediated modulation of the Arabidopsis root rhizosphere microbiome behavior (control of pathogenic traits).
I completed my Ph.D. at the Université de Sherbrooke (Canada) in the laboratory of Pr. Peter Moffett, where my thesis examined extracellular microenvironments in plant-microbe interactions. I was particularly interested in how pathogenic bacteria transform the apoplastic space into a water- and nutrient-rich oasis that promotes their growth and virulence — and how plant cells fight back.
Before my Ph.D., I had the chance to explore plant biology through internships at the Université de Sherbrooke, the University of Toronto, and the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, Germany.
I am a strong advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion in science, serving as Jr. Director of IS-MPMI and co-chair of its EDI Committee (2020–2023). Outside the lab, I am a fervent hiker and lover of wonders nature has to offer, intense foodie and ceramist.
My research spans two phases, both centered on understanding how plants and microorganisms interact at the molecular and cellular level.
I investigate how effector-triggered immunity (ETI) is organized across distinct cell types in a developing Arabidopsis plant, combining high-resolution confocal imaging, NLR receptor biology, and cell-type-specific expression of Avirulence and Resistance genes to map immune responses at cellular resolution.
I explore how plant immune and physiological programs shape the spatial organization and behavior of microbial communities in the rhizosphere, focusing on the molecular signals exchanged at the root-microbiome interface.
I studied how evolutionarily conserved bacterial effectors manipulate host abscisic acid signaling to transform the apoplastic space into a water- and nutrient-rich microenvironment, and how plants counteract this pathogenic niche establishment.
I investigated how pattern- and effector-triggered immunity function against the conserved and induced pathogenic virulence program known as water-soaking. We found that the main physiological function of immunity is to prevent water acquisition by microbial life in the apoplast.
* First author | ✉ Corresponding author | ǂ Mentored trainee | Full list on Google Scholar →
Total fellowship & scholarship funding: > $800,000 CAD
Open to discussions on plant immunity, collaborations, and opportunities.