My research focuses on soil, plant, and fungal processes that influence nutrient uptake and stress tolerance. The association of symbiotic fungi with roots and the production of compounds by plant roots and fungi in response to soil factors help to establish a dynamic ecophysiology at the root-soil interface. Reactions occurring in the rhizosphere influence both nutrient availability and uptake as well as plant response to soil metal stress. Research additionally focuses on urban forestry issues, including the structure and function of urban forests and the influence of invasive species on urban soils.

Collaborative research projects include the identification of metal-binding compounds produced by mycorrhizal fungi (with Dr. Aaron Timperman in the Department of Chemistry), mechanisms and genetics of salt resistance in poplar (with Dr. Steve DiFazio in Biology), metal mobility in contaminated soils (with Dr. Dorothy Vesper in Geology), and urban forest analysis (with Dr. David Nowak, USDA Forest Service, Syracuse University, NY).