Justin G. A. Whitehill

My research explores the intricacies of plant-pest (insect/pathogen) interactions through the application of forest health genomics. The specialized interactions between plants and pests offer opportunities to explore defense mechanisms and identify important traits (physical/chemical) such as genes, biochemical pathways, proteins, phytochemicals, and cell/tissue types to improve forest health. Ultimately, my research has led to new discoveries that are being developed into molecular tools that will facilitate the rapid improvement of trees against major North American forest pests.