I am a Steering Committee Member of the Institute of Urban Ecosystem Studies (IUES) at Kean University. We are currently organizing a variety of events.  Go to IUES' website for a list of past and current events.  Please inquire about our Bachelor of Sustainability Science Program, which I am involved in initiating through the College of Natural, Applied and Health Sciences at Kean University.

I am interested in the ecology and the molecular genetics and evolution of distyly and its associated self-incompatibility (SI). I have chosen to work with the Linaceae family of angiosperms-some members of which are distylous and self-incompatible. As such, these members are unable to self-reproduce.


Linaceae contains several commercially valuable species in the genus Linum (flax). For example, common flax is used in the production of linen. Others are commercially valuable in the production of omega-3-fatty acid sources and flax oil. At least one member has been shown to limit tumor growth in mice. There is some limited research that suggests other potential uses of flax in medicine.


The study of self-incompatibility and the removal of genetic barriers that prevent self-fertilization has thus become the focus of my research.


I use a variety of conventional and molecular genetic techniques to:


    The morphological and ecological aspects of distyly and SI


    Investigate the genetics of distyly and SI


    Map DNA regions of interest hypothesized to be involved in SI


    Identify and study genes that influence SI, such as genes for polygalacturonase (PG) and α-    dioxygenase (α-diox), which might influence plant morphology and mating behavior


    Find potential molecular variation at the PG, α-diox, and other loci across individuals within      the same species, and also in different species of the genus Linum


    Characterize PG and α-diox using a functional analysis approach


    Identify and investigate regulatory elements that control PG and a-diox


I also compare DNA sequences across species to examine evolutionary relationships of species belonging to the Linaceae