Assistant Professor
About
Despite widespread variation in shape, size, and functionality, practically all cells of a multicellular organism share an identical genomic sequence. The Marand lab aims to understand how dynamic genome regulation governs the reproducible development of highly complex morphological structures in plants. The lab is particularly focused on mechanisms of transcriptional regulation and how changes to the patterns and magnitude of gene expression contribute to molecular, cellular, and organismal phenotypic diversity. To address these questions, we are currently using state-of-the-art genomics methods at the single-cell level and are developing new experimental and computational approaches for unprecedented insight into the molecular bases of cell identity and cell fate decisions. We are also applying principles of population and quantitative genetics to single-cell data and are interested in understanding how evolution has shaped regulatory landscapes in plants.
Dr. Marand obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2018. He was a Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of Georgia from 2018-2023 where he received an NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology and an NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00).
