People
Dr. Eleinis Ávila-Lovera
Principal Investigator
Eleinis is a Biologist from Venezuela interested in the ecophysiology of plants from seasonally dry ecosystems and the role of stem photosynthesis in drought tolerance and survival. Eleinis obtained her Ph.D. in Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology from the University of California, Riverside, and held two postdoc positions before joining the University of Utah as an Assistant Professor. See full CV here. Eleinis is also the co-founder and one of the coordinators of the Red Latinoamericana de Ecofisiología Vegetal (link).
Dr. Oranys Marín
Postdoctoral Researcher
Oranys is a Biologist with a Ph.D. in Botany Science from Venezuela, specializing in Plant Physiological Ecology. His research focuses on understanding plant responses to environmental stress conditions. He has investigated how factors such as elevated CO2, water deficit, temperature, and flooding influence plant growth and development. Specifically, he studies the physiological and metabolic regulation of stressed plants. Currently, Oranys is working with desert plants that have green/photosynthetic stems, studying how changes in non-structural carbohydrates contribute to promoting drought resistance in these plants. He is deeply passionate about fieldwork and cherish quality time with his family.
Dr. Chinedu Eze
Postdoctoral Researcher
Chinedu (Nigeria) is trained as an agronomist, with specialization in pre-breeding. He obtained a masters in Plant Breeding and Genetics and a PhD in Climate Change and Agriculture. His research focuses on the response of plants to abiotic stresses, particularly elevated temperature and vapor pressure deficit. He was a Smithsonian Institution Postdoctoral Fellow in Panama and subsequently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Canada, before joining us in Utah. He is currently working on the thermotolerance of stem photosynthesis.
Osedipo Adegbeyeni
PhD candidate
Osedipo is a second year PhD student in the lab, and holds a BSc in Plant Science and Biotechnology from Federal University Oye Ekiti, Nigeria. His research involves water status regulation in plants with photosynthetic stems.
Vivian Gerstein
Second-year PhD student
Vivian graduated with a BS in Plant Sciences and a BA in Environmental Studies with a Conservation Science and Policy emphasis from UC Santa Cruz. She joined the lab as a PhD student in Fall 2025. She’s fascinated by all the tricks plants have to thrive in harsh desert environments and how water moves in unique ways throughout the ecosystem. Here at the U, her work is looking at the anatomical and morphological characteristics of desert plants and how they relate to plant abilities for water uptake through the stem and leaves. When not in the lab, Vivian loves mountain biking, trail running, and cooking yummy food!
Alex Vandendries
Second-year PhD student
Alex received his BA in Biology from Reed College, where he studied the spatial and temporal variability of drought tolerance traits in mature conifers. He joined the lab as a PhD student in Fall 2025 and is interested in investigating the mechanisms by which stem photosynthesis contributes to xylem safety during drought. Outside of the lab, Alex enjoys exploring mountains and forests through a mix of climbing, running, and relaxing.
Ava Mitchell
Honors Student. Biology major
Ava is an undergraduate student from Raleigh, NC who is studying Biology here at the U. She is currently researching the anatomical and morphological trait characteristics in leaves and photosynthetic stems in both wet and dry conditions. Outside of the lab, she likes to climb, snowboard, and hike.
Byron Woullet
Wilkes Center Fellow. Biology major
Byron is an undergraduate student originally from Big Lake, MN who currently lives in West Haven, UT and is pursuing a degree in human biology with a minor in chemistry. He is passionate about plants and is interested in studying them further. In the lab, he is currently researching desert plant response to drought with a focus on non-structural carbohydrates and how plants modulate them. In his free time, he likes to paint, garden, and sew.
Katelynn Wesse
Science Research Initiative. Biology major
Katelynn is a second-year undergraduate student studying Biology at the University of Utah. Originally from Wilsonville, Oregon, she is currently involved in research investigating thedynamics of non-structural carbohydrates in desert plants. Outside of the laboratory, Katelynn enjoys hiking, skiing, and various creative pursuits.
Alumni
Bri Rinn (2025)
Wilkes Center Fellow. Biology, Earth and Envrironmental Science, Environmental and Sustainability Studies majors
Bri joined the lab in Summer 2025 and worked with us until Fall 2025. Her main project seeks to understand the phylogenetic effect on variation in stem photosynthetic traits in drought-tolerant plants.