Dr. Richard Lankau

Biography

Richard Lankau is a Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He obtained his Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of California, Davis in 2007. His research interests focus on understanding the interactions between plant-associated microbial communities and individual plant health, particularly how these communities mediate abiotic stress tolerance and susceptibility to diseases in natural and agricultural settings. His work explores how microbial communities associated with plants can influence genetic diversity and how they adapt to changing environments, particularly in the context of climate change. Lankau has investigated the response of root-associated fungi to the introduction of exotic plant species and how these changes can affect the distribution of forest trees. His lab aims to harness these insights to address larger global challenges such as food security and biodiversity conservation.

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