Our Team
The Dry Bean Breeding & Computational Biology Program thrives thanks to our diverse, passionate team. Together, we’re cultivating innovation in agriculture.
Principal Investigator
Dr. Mohsen Yoosefzadeh Najafabadi
Principal Investigator
2024–Present
Overseeing the dry bean breeding and computational biology program.
Technicians
Lynsay Schram
Lead Technician
2021–Present
Overseeing crossings, field trials, technician management, and breeding program operations.
Shania Van Herk
Technician
2023–Present
Supporting field and lab operations.
Alexander Schaefer
Technician
2023–Present
Assisting with technical tasks.
Graduate Students
Jhanarthanan Murali
MSc Student
Researching phenomics-based selection for anthracnose resistance.
Mehdi Babaei
PhD Student
Co-advised with Dr. Davoud Torkamaneh.
Sajal Ahlawat
MSc-Internship Student
Exploring advanced breeding techniques.
Undergraduate Students
Trinity Solinger
Undergraduate Student
Contributing to breeding technique development.
Collaborators and Volunteers
Dr. Alexandros Kouretsis
External Collaborator
Volunteering and collaborating in developing AllInOne Genomics R Shiny App.
Dr. Sejal Parmar
Volunteer
Volunteering in advancing computational techniques for the dry bean breeding program.
Dr. Hosna Miladi
Volunteer
Volunteering in developing high-throughput techniques to accelerate the dry bean breeding program.
Koosha Rokhzadi
Volunteer
Volunteering in developing LLM-based generative AI algorithms for dry bean breeding (BeanGPT).
Rahul Vinod Krishna
Volunteer
Volunteering in developing LLM-based generative AI algorithms for dry bean breeding (BeanGPT).
Sarah Riddle
Volunteer
Assisting with field and lab research.
Alumni
Madison Taylor
Former Undergraduate Student
2024
Christian Alloway
Former Undergraduate Student
2024
Abrienna Mills
Former Undergraduate Student
2025
Anna Collins
Former Undergraduate Student
2025