We are eager to hear from prospective lab members! Please contact Gaurav with the following information: What draws you to our work? In what capacity would you like to join us? (Undergraduate student researcher, graduate student, postdoc, visiting scholar, etc.) What are your past experiences that you would like to build on by being in the lab? (Note: if you are an undergraduate student, it is totally OK for this to be your first experience in an ecology/research setting.
Hometown: Lewisville,TX Project: Xavier is helping out with the Lifeplan project in Daijiang Li’s lab, and is also helping process samples from the Baton Rouge Dragnet site Why I like plant ecology: To me ecology is the ground work of ecosystems that hold some of my favorite species and animals. Having the opportunity to study how plants and animals interact within a habitat has always been an interest of mine
Nia started working in the lab as part of the Gulf Scholars Program, for which she was involved in various field projects in the longleaf pine savanna ecosystem.
Hometown: Lodi, California Project: Maggie is working on the Long Leaf Pine Savanna Project, which she started doing through the Gulf Scholars Program. Through this project, she is gaining experience in field sampling, soil processing, and microbial DNA extraction. Why I like plant ecology: I love being able to make a difference through something that is everywhere, yet so overlooked!
Pronouns: he/ him/ his Hometown: Zachary, LA Project: Brennan hopes to develop a much deeper understanding of the interactions between fungi and plants in root systems in his work with graduate researcher, Richard Ita. Why I like plant ecology: I really like understanding the importance of interactions in environments. Everything must work cohesively to create the world around us. From bacteria, to plants, to animals, everything serves a purpose in keeping our Earth alive.
Hometown: New Orleans, LA Project: Swati is helping start up work on plant species interactions in coastal prairies Why I like plant ecology: I love seeing the bright colors of various plants and being able to cultivate them and observe their behavior from the very beginning. Along with learning about the unique traits of diverse plants and their surviving mechanism to flourish in a given environment, it is fun to discover their contribution to the development of their neighboring populations.
Hometown: New Orleans, LA Past Experiences: I have previously worked as an undergraduate researcher within the Kandlikar Lab! Projects: In my final year as an undergraduate, I started collaborating with Dr. Kandlikar to explore students’ perceptions of integrating mathematics and computer programming into undergraduate biology education. As a research assistant, I am continuing to advance this project. Why Ecology: Ecology allows me to discover the amazing diversity of life and see how species interact and rely on each other.
Hometown: Ruston, LA Project: Milayna is spearheading the GK Lab’s Plot Points podcast. Read about the podcast here! Why I like plant ecology: I love the opportunity to study and make an impact on something that affects everyone. Noticed or not, plant ecology affects our everyday lives.
Jasmine is working on evaluating microbial drought legacies in Brassica rapa.
Now: Edmarie is now pursuing her fungal dreams as a PhD student with Dr. Adriana Romero Olivares 🍄 Hometown: Florida, Puerto Rico Research Interests: Host-microbe interactions, microbial ecology, fungal species, climate change and conservation biology Projects: Soil microbial effects on plant eco-evolutionary dynamics under abiotic stress Past experiences: Graduated in June 2024 with a BSc. in Biology with Emphasis on Environmental Microbiology from the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo. As an undergraduate student, I participated on different research projects such as:
I hold a Master’s in Business studies. I have a experience of working in a A- class commercial bank. Currently, I am pursuing Master’s in Applied Statistics and working as a Research Assistant in GK lab.
Hometown: New Orleans, LA Project: Alex started working with us as an undergrad student in 2023, and is now working as a lab manager/research technician. In this role he will work on various ongoing projects and will also develop his own project focused on drought effects on plant–microbe interactions. Why I like plant ecology: One thing I like about plant ecology is learning how plants can help with local issues such as erosion and how we can help the native plant population thrive.
Hometown: Rajbiraj, Nepal Research Interests: I am broadly interested in biological invasions, altitudinal shifts of plant communities, plant-animal interactions, coupled human and natural systems, and biodiversity conservation. Projects: One project that I would like to briefly mention is a citizen science-based phenology project. This work, which is also part of my PhD thesis, aims to gather phenology data of invasive plant species observed on citizen science platforms from their native and invaded sites.
Hometown: Uyo, Nigeria Research Interests: Plant-soil interactions, quantitative ecology, climate change, biodiversity conservation. Projects: Richard is currently exploring ideas about plant-soil interactions and quantitative plant ecology to develop his PhD dissertation projects. Past experiences: Richard holds a PhD and MSc in Plant Ecology, and BSc. in Botany and Ecological Studies. Prior to joining LSU, Richard was a Lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences, Ritman University, Ikot Ekpene, Nigeria. Richard has led the following projects:
Hometown: Home changes with conversations, sometimes it is Navi Mumbai, sometimes Mumbai, sometimes Bangalore - But my allegiance lies with Mumbai Research Interests: I like to think through the messiness of ecology using both, theoretical and experimental lenses. Lately, I have been fascinated by how microbiota shape macro-scale processes that give rise to the systems we observe. This research - firmly grounded in theory and tested through experiments - allows me to delve into the nuances of plant-soil dynamics and explore their implications on restoration, invasion mitigation, and biodiversity maintenance.
Hometown: East-ish LA, California Research interests: microbial ecology and evolution, modeling and simulation, environmental microbiology Project: Understanding how different mycorrhizal nutrient acquisition strategies shape forest stand diversity (with Rachana!) Past experiences: Graduated in June 2025 with a B.S in Computer Science (Computational Biology) from Stanford University. As an undergraduate in Paula Welander’s lab, I was involved with the following projects: Characterization of terpenoid cyclases Molecular dynamics simulation of GDGT membranes Phenotyping the C-24 mutant Methylomicrobium’s sterol synthesis pathway Feel free to connect with me on [LinkedIn]( https://www.
Hometown: I grew up mostly in Cary, North Carolina, and I claim Durham as home too Past experiences: I came to LSU as a postdoctoral researcher after completing my PhD at Duke. I got my bachelor’s degree at UNC, so my basketball loyalties lie with the Tar Heels. Research interests: I am interested in how ecological history shapes plant communities. I study both short-term legacies, like the effects of germination order on species interactions, and longer-term legacies, like the effects of past fire on plant community responses to future fire.
Hometown: Depending on the day/context… Mumbai or Hyderabad, India; Minneapolis, MN; Los Angeles, CA; or other places that feel like ‘home’ Past experiences: I came to LSU after a PhD at UCLA and three years as a postdoc at the University of Missouri Research Interests: My primary interests are in plant community ecology, pedagogy of biology, and in making science more open and inclusive. As lab PI, I also let my own curiosity be guided by that of the students and researchers around me.