Organizers and leaders | Fellows | Alumni

Organizers and leaders:

Peggy G. Lemaux

My research interests focus on understanding and improving crop plants, particularly cereals. My position at UC Berkeley involves not only performing research but also includes interacting with the public. Those outreach efforts aim to enlighten those who would listen about food, agriculture and the role genetics have and will play in those areas

     CLEAR is allowing me to realize a dream I have had for many years to interest students in communicating with the public on issues relating to what we scientists do and why – and challenging science denial. I hope to pass on what I have learned from doing this to the next generation of scientists.

Jason Kyle Avalos

Magnets. How do they work? My research focuses on magnetotactic bacteria, bacteria with the unique ability to integrate the Earth’s magnetic field into their movement, and how these amazing organisms navigate and interact with their environment. I’m a current PhD candidate within the Plant and Microbial Biology department at UC Berkeley. I help organize PubScience, a monthly even where we invite speakers from all walks of life to present a scientific topic to the public. These events are always free and open to the public, and subjects range research on plant defenses to methods of studying extraterrestrial presence and everything in between.

Kylee Hillman

I’m a Plant Biology PhD student at UC Berkeley, and I study how to get things into plant cells. Plant cells are wrapped in a tough wall, so I test small peptides as tiny delivery trucks that carry cargo into cells. More broadly, I love digging into the strange and wonderful biology of plants, because understanding how they work can give us new tools to help them, and us, cope with a changing climate. Through CLEAR, I hope to bridge the gap between the university and the community.

Max Gray

I research how plants adapt to climate change using “ancient” DNA! To see how DNA has changed over the last 200 years, I use herbarium specimens: a herbarium is like a giant library, but instead of books, it’s full of preserved plants collected over centuries. Scientists carefully press plants flat, dry them out, and store them with labels that say when and where they were found. Using DNA from these old plant specimens, I search for signals of natural selection on the genome, use gene editing to “resurrect” ancient variants in modern plants, and study their function in depth. Through CLEAR, I’m excited to bring hands-on science to classrooms that don’t often get it, and to show students not only what scientists do, but how they can become one too.

Ria Raut

Ria Raut is a 3rd year PhD candidate in the department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. She is broadly interested in plant community ecology, ecosystem modelling, and conservation biology. She is passionate about showing students the fascinating world of plant ecology and physiology, and hopes to continue advocating for science communication and plant conservation for the rest of her career!

Fellows:

Jianqiang Shen

I am an Assistant Project Scientist in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology at UC Berkeley, where my research focuses on using genetic engineering to understand and improve crop plants. I am particularly interested in how plants respond to environmental changes and how we can use genome editing to develop crops that use water more efficiently, capture more carbon, and better withstand climate challenges. Much of my current work focuses on sorghum, a remarkably resilient crop with great potential for sustainable agriculture.

Beyond the lab, I enjoy sharing science with people from different backgrounds. Through mentoring students, organizing scientific workshops, and participating in community outreach events, I have come to appreciate that communicating science is just as important as conducting it. I believe that making complex scientific ideas accessible and engaging can spark curiosity, encourage critical thinking, and build public trust in science. Through CLEAR, I hope to share my enthusiasm for plant science, help people better understand how biotechnology affects our food and environment, and inspire the next generation of scientists.

 

Nicole Dubs

Plants can’t get vaccines, so how do they fight disease? Proteins are tiny machines that keep cells running, carrying out the countless tasks that make life possible. Some proteins also help plants recognize and defend themselves against pathogens that cause disease. As a PhD student at UC Berkeley, I study how these proteins contribute to plant immunity, with the goal of improving disease resistance in crops. Before starting my PhD, I worked in industry developing environmentally friendly insecticides inspired by spider venom. I’m passionate about sustainable agriculture and finding innovative ways to protect the crops we depend on. Through CLEAR, I’m excited to discuss the science behind plant health and agricultural sustainability with students and share how scientific advancements can make a positive impact on society.

Priyati Sharma

I’m a Plant Biology PhD student interested in studying how photosynthesis and plant synthetic biology can be used to mitigate the impacts of climate change on our natural environment. As an undergraduate student in Bioengineering at Arizona State University, I led many outreach efforts to introduce biotechnology research to younger students, and am excited to continue doing the same with CLEAR! I believe that as scientists, our responsibility lies in ensuring that the importance of our work and its outcomes are shared with stakeholders, policymakers, and the general public to promote trust in science, scientific literacy, and accelerate the positive impacts of our research on the world.

Raquel Ponce

I’m a 3rd year Plant Biology PhD candidate in the Niyogi lab, and I study the molecular basis of how plants utilize photoprotective mechanisms to protect themselves from excess sunlight. Downstream applications of this research includes engineering crops with greater photosynthetic efficiency that can grow more biomass and sequester more carbon from the atmosphere. Outside of lab, I love hanging out with my dog, playing soccer, reading, and eating good food!

Ahmad Hussin

Why are plants so cool? So many reasons, and as a PhD student, I hope to discover even more! Throughout my PhD, I’ll be exploring how plants have solved problems through evolution and what we can learn from their solutions. By uncovering these fundamental principles of life, we can lay the groundwork for advances in agriculture and biotechnology. I joined CLEAR to communicate the importance of basic research and inspire the next generation of scientists! Outside of CLEAR, you can find me trying (unsuccessfully) to imitate bird songs, taking wildlife photographs, exploring a National Park, or anything that allows me to enjoy nature!

Alice Carle

I’m an aquatic ecotoxicologist passionate about understanding how metals affect the environment and how science can help protect it. After studying marine and ocean sciences at Sorbonne University (Paris, France) and completing my PhD research at UQAM (Montreal, Canada) on the effects of platinum and palladium on freshwater organisms, I will be starting a new adventure in January 2027 as a postdoctoral researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Niyogi lab at UCBerkeley. There, I will be exploring the fascinating interactions between algae and metals, with a focus on harnessing algae’s potential for biomining critical minerals.

Beyond the lab, I’m passionate about science communication, teaching, and building bridges between research and society. I’m driven by curiosity, collaboration, and the desire to take science beyond the lab, making research more accessible, tangible, and meaningful to people of all ages.

Meghna Vergis

Bacteria are tiny organisms that live everywhere: the soil, the sea, even your own body! My goal as a researcher is to learn how these bacteria interact with each other, and how we can use communities of bacteria to solve problems. I joined CLEAR to make science fun, interesting, and accessible for everyone! Outside of the lab, I enjoy arts and crafts (especially science- and nature-themed projects!) and listening to music.

Sarah Joe

I’m a Plant Biology PhD student at UC Berkeley, and I’m fascinated by the intricacies that make plants so unique & essential to life. Through my research, I hope to better understand the mechanisms that make plants so special, and use that knowledge to make agriculture more sustainable and food more accessible for a growing population. For me, CLEAR is a great way to connect with the community and share why research matters and what impact science has. My goal is to encourage curiosity about the world around us and share the awe that first drew me into science, in the hope of inspiring students to become scientists too.

In my free time, you can find me going on a run, enjoying good food, or exploring somewhere new!