Research Associate – Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center
Ph.D. – Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biotechnology, Michigan State University
I am a plant geneticist and computational biologist with a strong focus on the integration of genomics and quantitative genetics to accelerate genetic gain in crops. My research expertise includes quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and genomic prediction, primarily in dry beans and bioenergy crops.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in Biology from Universidad del Tolima in Colombia. After graduation, I joined the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), where I worked on dry bean improvement. Later, I collaborated on breeding and genomics projects at the Colombian Sugarcane Research Center (CENICAÑA).
I completed my Ph.D. in Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biotechnology at Michigan State University, where my research focused on applying genomic prediction in dry bean breeding. My doctoral work aimed to accelerate genetic improvement for key traits including yield, mineral concentration, and canning quality.
As a Research Associate at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, I apply computational biology approaches to dissect the genetic architecture of complex traits in bioenergy crops. My work bridges data science, plant genomics, and predictive modeling to support sustainable crop improvement strategies.
- Genomic selection and prediction
- Quantitative trait dissection (QTL mapping, GWAS)
- Integration of multi-omic and phenotypic data
- Biofortification and nutritional quality in legumes
- Computational biology in plant breeding
- Machine learning applied to biological data