Research Team
Principal Investigator
Dr. Rhea Amor Lumactud
My fascination with the unseen world began in the most unexpected playground – my family's farm in the Philippines. As a child, while I was ostensibly 'helping' (or perhaps more accurately, playing!) on the farm, I was fascinated by the mysteries beneath our feet. How could something so invisible wield such power over plants' health or soil fertility? This curiosity led me to pursue a thesis in microbiology during my BSc, followed by nematology training in the Netherlands and Belgium. My academic journey eventually brought me to Canada, where I completed an MSc in Soil Ecology at the University of Manitoba and a PhD in Microbial Ecology/Environmental Microbiology at the University of Toronto as an NSERC CGS scholar.
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When not working, I enjoy paddleboarding, riding a bicycle, dancing, and singing.
Graduate students
Xavier Godin (co-supervised with Dr. Shawkat Ali of AAFC)
PhD student
From my youngest years, I developed a fascination with nature. Running across the forest floor and bearing witness to the bounties that could be provided to us always amazed me. I found it fascinating that life could seemingly sprout out of nowhere with such complexity and elegance. It was no surprise that I decided to pursue my undergraduate studies in agrology and my master’s in plant science, both at McGill.
Following my studies, I spent time in the private sector, which sparked my curiosity about soil. This interest only furthered my questions, which over time grew into a passion. Nowadays, I aim to reconcile these disciplines by shedding light on the interactions present between the soil microbiome and plants.
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In my spare time, I like to hang out close to the water; I enjoy sailing, surfing, snowboarding, and fishing, among other things.
Maria Coull, MSc student
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Sushanta Poudel (co-supervised with Dr. Shawkat Ali of AAFC)
MSc student
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Undergraduate students
Taylar Austin
NSERC-USRA student
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Beginning my undergrad in Bioveterinary Sciences, my passion for animals and their natural environment are what led to my interests in exploring the interactions and processes of living systems. More recently, these interests are what ultimately led to my academic transition towards exploring microbial interactions and the role they play in the functioning of plants and animals.
When I'm not in school, I enjoy hiking, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.
Saran Jayaselvam (co-supervised with Dr. Paul Manning)
Undergraduate research student
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Since childhood, my passion for growing plants inspired me to major in Plant Science at Dalhousie University after transferring from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. During my course of study, I gained interest in exploring more about insects and bugs that are causing issues with plant growth, leading me to pursue research in entomology (Dr. Manning), which intersects with microbiology (Dr. Lumactud). Beyond academics, I am a competitive badminton player, representing universities in both Canada and India.
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Vaishnavi Jayachandran (co-supervised with Dr. Lord Abbey)
Sobey Agricultural Undergraduate Research Award student
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