Principal Investigator
Mike Scanlon, Ph.D.
mjs298@cornell.edu
Mike received his Ph.D. in Genetics from Iowa State University, and did postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley. Mike started his laboratory in the Plant Biology Department at the University of Georgia in 1997, and moved his lab to Cornell in 2005. Besides his research in plant development, Mike also enjoys baseball, and music (folk, roots, blues and classic rock), reading (especially history and other fiction), movies he usually can’t understand, traveling, cooking, eating out, and dogs and cats.
Lab Manager/Technician
Lukas Evans
le95@cornell.edu
Lukas Evans graduated from Cazenovia College in Cazenovia, NY with a B.S. in Environmental Biology in 2018 and completed his M.S. in Plant Science and Biotechnology from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, NY in 2021. His previous research involved tissue culture and agrobacterium-mediated transformation of willow for bioenergy and conservation purposes. He joined the Scanlon lab in the fall of 2021 and has since been enamored with the world of maize genetics. In the lab he supports projects concerning maize leaf development, most recently using various imaging and transcriptomic analysis techniques to investigate ligule and auricle development. Outside the lab, Lukas like to cook, read, collect antiques, and relax with his wife Alexandra and their many pets.
Postdocs
Ruqiang Zhang
rz444@cornell.edu
Ruqiang received his Ph.D. in Agronomy at Nanjing Agricultural University in 2021. His research focused on the dynamic modeling of gene regulatory networks and signaling networks in plant science. Ruqiang worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the field of plant nutrients at China Agricultural University from 2021. In 2023, he joined the Scanlon lab as a postdoctoral researcher, focusing on the study of maize leaf development. Ruqiang utilizes single cell RNA-seq and mathematical modeling approaches to investigate the maize leaf morphology and development. Outside the lab, Ruqiang likes reading history, hiking, playing badminton, and listening to podcasts.
Graduate Students
Richie Ragas
rgr86@cornell.edu
Richie received his undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of the Philippines, Mindanao and completed his MS in Horticulture and Agronomy as a Ford Fellow at the University of California, Davis in 2012. After earning his MS, he joined the Philippine Rice Research Institute studying floral biology of thermo-sensitive genic male sterility in rice. Prior to attending Cornell in the Fall of 2022, he taught undergraduate courses in plant physiology and developmental biology at the University of the Philippines, Cebu. Currently in the Scanlon lab, he is focusing on understanding how WOX3 genes function in maize. Outside the lab, Richie likes doing powerpoint animations, swimming and exploring new destinations during his travels.
Undergraduate Researchers
Maisie Shimko
Maisie Shimko is a current undergraduate student at CALS studying Plant Science. Maisie has previously worked for USDA, focusing on cranberry and blueberry genetics and breeding. Maisie hopes to learn more about molecular biology and plant structure within the Scanlon Lab. Eventually, she would like to complete her honors thesis with the Scanlon Lab. Outside of the lab, Maisie loves to spend time with animals and visit farms and botanical gardens.