Members

Gautam Shirsekar, PhD

gshirsek@utk.edu
Assistant professor @UTK
Scholar Citations

Gautam earned his PhD from the Ohio State University before embarking on a research journey to Germany where he worked as post-doctoral scholar at the Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tuebingen. Driven by the curiosity and broad training he received, he is currently focused on illuminating the intricate coevolutionary dynamics between crop wild relatives and their pathogens within their native environments. In the long term, he plans to develop an analytical framework that strategically leverages the untapped genetic heritage found in wild crop ancestors to restrict the emergence of novel and threatening pathogenic strains. Beyond his research endeavors, Gautam is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of plant biologists, equipping them with the skills to uncover the fundamental evolutionary principles governing host-pathogen interactions at both population and genomic levels. This knowledge will be instrumental in forging sustainable and resilient strategies for managing crop diseases in the future.

Anugya Bhattarai

abhatt18@vols.utk.edu
Graduate Research Assistant @UTK

Anugya completed her B.S. Agriculture from Nepal and is now a graduate student in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at UTK. Her research focuses on studying the genetic diversity of wild grape populations and their interaction with the downy mildew pathogen *Plasmopara viticola*. Her project involves extensive sampling across national forests in Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, analyzing both host and pathogen diversity to uncover patterns of co-evolution in the grape-downy mildew pathosystem at the genomic level. She is also testing interactions between different grape populations and pathogen isolates in controlled environments (greenhouse/growth chambers) to identify geographic mosaics of coevolution in the pathosystem. When she is not investigating host-pathogen interactions in the lab or the field or in the computer, you’ll likely find her lost in classic literature, trekking through nature’s wonders, or portraying those wonders on a canvas with colors. A small trivia — She has yet to climb Mount Everest!

Katelyn (Katie) Wood

kwood31@utk.edu
Graduate Research Assistant @UTK


Driven by her roots as a first-generation college student from rural East Tennessee, Katie forged her path to higher education, beginning with the Tennessee Promise at PSTCC before completing her B.B.A. While working at UTK and leveraging employer benefits, she discovered a profound passion for the interconnected fields of ecology, evolution, plant pathology, conservation biology, and bioinformatics. Now, in the CoEvolutionLab, Katie's research delves into the potential impacts of historical anthropogenic activities (logging and settlements) within Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the genetic diversity of native wild grapevines – a pursuit that brings her genuine joy and a strong sense of accomplishment.

Rachel Ann Carpenter

rcarpe14@vols.utk.edu
Research Technician and Lab Manager @UTK

Rachel began as a Herbert Experiential Research Opportunity (HERO) intern in the CoEvolutionLab during Summer 2024. Since then she has earned B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from UTK and continued her work while taking on new responsibilities of managing the lab. Grape samples collected from the forests are challenging to extract DNA from, and she has taken on the challenge to developing a cost-effective DNA extraction protocol from the _Vitis_ samples collected from the wild. She is particularly interested in obtaining high quality and quantity DNA suitable for both long and short-read sequencing. Her signficant interest beyond grapes lies in aquatic ecology and she dreams of pursuing research in freshwater mussel ecology. Outside of the lab, she loves reading books and exploring the East Tennessee's beautiful landscape.

Abigail Scott

ascott97@vols.utk.edu
Research Assistant @UTK

Abigail is a junior majoring in the Plant Science program at the University of Tennessee. She is passionate about improving plant health, particularly through the study of plant diseases and their long-term effects on plant lifespan and quality. Currently, Abigail is channeling her energy into a challenging project centered on maximizing the propagation efficiency of wild Vitis species indigenous to the Blue Ridge Mountains. By skillfully integrating her hands-on experience in greenhouse plant production with her knowledge of diverse plant propagation techniques, she is meticulously investigating the optimal combination of cutting type (greenwood versus hardwood), sampling time, and greenhouse environmental conditions for successful Vitis propagation.

Jacob Smith

jsmit619@vols.utk.edu
Research Assistant @UTK

Jacob Smith recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Ecological and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His past research has focused on mycorrhizal fungi and their interactions with abiotic factors such as soil properties and climate. Jacob is interested in using genomics to develop more sustainable agricultural practices.

Brayden Roberts

brober65@vols.utk.edu
Research Assistant @UTK

Brayden is an undergraduate pursuing a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences with a concentration in Management. Growing up outdoors helped him to be passionate for wildlife conservation. His research interests are in carnivore ecology, avoidance of human-wildlife conflict, and sustainable hunting's conservation function. He has background in vegetation management and is building hands-on experience through field experience in animal behavior, habitat rehabilitation, and ecological surveys (which involes his current stint with us helping Anugya achieve her goals). He aspires to become a wildlife manager who strives for activities that reconcile ecological integrity with human existence.