The main areas of research currently underway in the laboratory include the functional genomics of cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata L.) an important African legume. In these studies we are using genomic wide sequence data for molecular marker development and microarray analysis to examine global gene expressionas strategies for the genetic improvement of cowpea. We also study the molecular genetics of host plant and non-host plant resistance to parasitism by the root hemiparasite Striga gesnerioides and its relatives. These studies include an examination of the evolution of parasitism in the Orobanchaceae ( Striga , Orobanche , and Tryphysaria ) as a way of determining what makes a parasitic angiosperm unique.

For more information about research interests, visit my lab webpage.