My research is focused on understanding how plants recognize and respond to insect herbivores with chemical defenses. This requires a multidisciplinary approach ranging from molecular biology to ecology and makes use of model systems with genetic tools, including Arabidopsis, poplar, and grape. My current research is focused in three areas: 1) how insect feeding vibrations are sensed and used by insects as a rapid detection system for herbivory, 2) the mechanisms of plant gall induction by insects, and 3) volatile signatures of plant responses to herbivory.