Learn what to expect from an undergraduate research experience in neuro and how to identify opportunities that meet your goals. Gain insights from current neuroscience majors engaged in research and hear data blitzes from graduate students and postdocs at Georgia Tech.
This is the first in the Professional Development Series for Neuroscience Majors and other undergraduate students interested in neuroscience, neurotechnology, and their intersections with society. To receive updates on future events in this series, sign up for the mailing list here.
Event Details
The College of Sciences is pleased to announce the launch of the AI4Science Center. The center will promote research and collaboration focused on using state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) techniques to address complex scientific challenges.
“AI and ML have the potential to revolutionize scientific discovery, but there is a clear need for foundational research centered on AI/ML methodologies and application to scientific problems,” says Dimitrios Psaltis, professor in the School of Physics.
Psaltis will co-lead the center with Molei Tao, professor in the School of Mathematics, and Audrey Sederberg, assistant professor in the School of Psychology.
The new center will combine expertise and resources from various disciplines to foster the creation of robust, reusable tools and methods that can be used across scientific domains. Specifically, the center will organize seminars and an annual conference in addition to providing seed funding for collaborative projects across units.
Nearly 40 faculty members from the College’s six schools have already agreed to participate in activities proposed by the center; additional faculty involvement is expected from across the Institute.
The center builds upon initiatives such as Tech AI, the Machine Learning Center, and the Institute for Data Engineering and Science, which seek to boost Georgia Tech’s leadership in cutting-edge, AI/ML-powered interdisciplinary research and education.
The College’s seed grant program will sponsor the center for three years, starting in fiscal year 2026. Created in 2024, this program funds new centers that seek to increase the College’s research impact and advance its strategic goal of excellence in research through a focus on novel interdisciplinary areas or discipline-specific topics of high impact. The AI4Science Center is the third initiative to be seeded by this program, following the funding of the Center for Sustainable and Decarbonized Critical Energy Mineral Solutions and the Center for Research and Education in Navigation in 2024.
“The AI4Science Center was selected for its approach, timeliness, organization, and strong support from all six of the College’s schools,” says Laura Cadonati, associate dean for Research and professor in the School of Physics. “Faculty enthusiasm about this initiative reflects the growing importance of AI/ML tools in research today and the desire for more interdisciplinary collaboration in this space at the College and beyond.”
Celebrate innovation and collaboration at the Georgia Tech and Shepherd Center Research Collaborative.
This event marks a growing partnership between Georgia Tech and Shepherd Center aimed at advancing rehabilitative patient care and research (press release). It offers a unique opportunity for researchers, clinicians, and students from both institutions to connect, explore shared interests, and spark new collaborations.
The evening will feature a keynote address by Tommy Holder and the announcement of seed grant winners, recognizing promising research initiatives. Attendees will also enjoy a networking reception and guided tours of Shepherd Center’s newly opened, state-of-the-art research and innovation facilities, including the Virginia C. Crawford Research Institute and the James M. Cox Foundation Innovation Institute. Free, covered parking will be available for this event.
Capacity is limited. Register here by September 1.
Agenda
4:30 – 4:45 p.m.
Welcome
4:45 – 5:30 p.m.
Keynote Speech, Tommy Holder
Announcement of seed grant winners
5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Networking reception and Tours, Marcus Center for Advanced Rehabilitation (MCAR building): Virginia C. Crawford Research Institute and James M. Cox Foundation Innovation Institute.
Event Details
Few animals captivate people’s imagination like sharks. From the enduring cultural legacy of Jaws, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, to the continued popularity of the Discovery Channel's Shark Week, now in its 37th year, media portrayals of the apex predator can shape public perception, illuminate their role within Earth's ecosystems, and influence conservation efforts.
For Cameron Perry, every week is shark week. The Georgia Tech alumnus earned his Ph.D. in ocean science and engineering in 2024 and now leads the whale shark and manta ray initiatives at Georgia Aquarium.
As a 6-year-old listening to his mother read him Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and imagining the creatures Captain Nemo encountered, Perry had dreams of exploring the oceans for himself. When he saw his first whale shark in Georgia Aquarium's 6.3-million-gallon tank, he set out to learn as much as he could about the gentle giants and help to conserve the endangered species.
Perry's research has taken him around the world to observe whale shark behaviors in St. Helena and the Galapagos Islands, working to understand their migration habits, reproduction, and global ecology. While most people won't encounter sharks daily as he does, Perry sees the aquarium as well as the media as effective tools in showcasing sharks in the proper light.
"They are kind of mysterious and unknown. For many people, they've never encountered sharks in their lifetime, and part of that captivation could lead to fear, but education can turn that fear into wonder and awe. There's a narrative that these animals are mindless eating machines, but the more you learn, you realize that's not the case," he said. “These creatures have existed for 400 million years; they're older than trees, and understanding their role on our planet is important to changing the narrative around sharks."
Perry likens sharks to the white blood cells of the ecosystems in which they live, as they help prevent the spread of disease through the consumption of dead or diseased prey, contribute to population control, and provide balance to the ocean's biodiversity.
Understanding Our Role
While at Georgia Tech, Perry worked alongside Regents’ Chair and Harry and Anna Teasley Chair in Environmental Biology Mark Hay, whose research has highlighted the role that sharks, and other large predators, play in habitat regulation within coral reefs. Hay explains that overfishing and other human activities have decimated shark populations in certain parts of the world, significantly affecting coral reefs and the populations that rely on them.
As the manager of a freshwater beach in Kentucky in 1975, Hay saw firsthand the impact that Jaws had on the beachgoing public at the time — including his lifeguards.
“I had about 25 lifeguards, and I made them swim a mile every day on our buoy line. After we all went to see Jaws, about half of them refused to swim the mile for over a week. They'd look at me and say, 'You can fire me. I'm not going in,' and I'd laugh and say, ‘We're in freshwater. Jaws isn't in there.’"
Hay said that while the movie remains a favorite of his, its depiction of sharks isn't representative of their behavior in the wild, as shark attacks are often accidents, not predatory actions. Like Perry, Hay believes that education can help protect sharks and bring a renewed focus to solving the ongoing issues facing the oceans.
"These ecosystems are degrading, and it's us that's doing it. What I am trying to do in my teaching is to go beyond cataloging the demise and take a more Georgia Tech-type approach by saying, 'If the bridge is broken, we have to be the ones to rebuild it,'" he said.
Hay keeps a saber-toothed tiger fossil on his desk as a constant reminder to himself that "everything I study was shaped by what used to be here," and how understanding nature can help preserve it for the future. Sharks are a captivating species, and both Perry and Hay stress that continued research and a commitment to education are the key to their conservation.
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy is partnering with the School of Literature, Media, and Communication (LMC) to offer the Minor in Science Communication and Policy. Based in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, the new program provides an in-depth look at how science is communicated to the public, how policy shapes research, and how science communication affects society. It’s open to students in all majors.
This interdisciplinary program is designed for humanities students interested in careers in health and science, media, technical communication, or public relations, as well as STEM majors seeking to develop their human-centered communication skills.
Students must take LMC 3310 – The Rhetoric of Scientific Inquiry and PUBP 4410 – Science, Technology, and Public Policy and also choose three electives from a list of courses that includes LMC 3412 – Communicating Science and Technology to the Public, LMC 3318 – Biomedicine and Culture, and LMC 4406 – Contemporary Issues in Professional Communication.
A unique feature of this minor is the optional study-abroad experience in Dublin, Ireland, on storytelling and AI in journalism, offered in partnership with CNN.
“This is an exciting opportunity for Georgia Tech students to learn how policy shapes and is shaped by how we talk about science and to learn how scientific advances are communicated by professionals to different public audiences,” said LMC Chair Kelly Ritter.
The Minor in Science Communication and Policy is one of three new minors offered by the Ivan Allen College this fall.
Four College of Sciences alumni have been selected as members of the 2025 class of 40 Under 40. Launched by the Georgia Tech Alumni Association in 2020, this program highlights the work of Yellow Jackets who are “reshaping industries, solving big challenges, and leaving a lasting mark on the world as they elevate excellence.“
“We are incredibly proud to see four outstanding alumni from the College of Sciences recognized in this year’s 40 Under 40,” says Leslie Roberts, director of Alumni Relations for the College of Sciences. “Their achievements are a testament to the power of scientific curiosity and innovation to shape a better future.”
Meet the inspirational honorees from the College of Sciences:
Brandi Brown, BIO 2013
Founder/CEO | Gulf Spore
Brandi Brown is making waves in the mushroom industry. Upon graduating from Georgia Tech, she commissioned as an officer in the United States Air Force. After serving her country, she earned a Ph.D. in bioengineering, focusing on the development of bioplastics from microbes. Recognizing the beauty and potential of fungi, she founded Gulf Spore, a mushroom biotech company dedicated to solving many of humanity’s greatest challenges, such as food waste. Gulf Spore was awarded a Small Business Innovation Research grant by the National Science Foundation.
Favorite Tech Memory: One of my favorite memories was getting to perform Honor Guard at the GT football game as a rifle bearer!
Victoria Fritz, BIO 2017
Founder/CEO | BabyBumps
Dr. Victoria Fritz is a physician turned entrepreneur. After graduating from Georgia Tech, Fritz went to medical school at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill and matched into cardiothoracic surgery (heart and lung surgery) for residency. After a major medical diagnosis forced her to leave her career in heart surgery, she launched BabyBumps, a company focused on the fertility space with a mission to elevate the value of women in surrogacy.
Favorite Tech Memory: I met my husband when we were students at Tech! He is now my most important business partner.
Mitchell Hanson, NEURO 2020
MD/MPH Student | Medical College of Georgia
Mitchell Hanson is a Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Health candidate at the Medical College of Georgia with interests in public health, dermatology, and fitness. He has presented at national and international conferences, published in high-impact journals including the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology and the Alzheimer’s Association, and appeared on TEDx and AMA national platforms. He has managed nearly $50,000 in grant funding for community health initiatives and completed his MPH internship in Vietnam researching vascular anomalies and laser technologies. As the current president of his institution’s Gold Humanism Honor Society chapter, Hanson aims to reshape medicine through medical media, artistic expression, and a reimagined identity of physicianship. He was inducted into the AMA Leadership Development Institute 2025-26 Health Administration and Management Cohort.
Favorite Tech Memory: The Biomolecular Engineering, Science, and Technology (BEST) Study Abroad Program in Lyon. I made lifelong friends there, including one whose wedding I just officiated for!
Anthony Rojas, CHEM 2014
Senior Academic Professional | Georgia Tech
Anthony J. Rojas is a senior academic professional in chemistry at Georgia Tech. He earned his Ph.D. from MIT and his bachelor’s from Georgia Tech, both in chemistry. His research spans peptide therapeutics, transition metal catalysis, and inclusive chemistry education, with over a dozen peer-reviewed publications. A passionate educator, he has received multiple teaching awards and led funded projects from NIH, NSF, and ACS. Rojas is committed to mentorship and outreach. He integrates light-board technology and active learning to enhance student engagement and success in the chemistry classroom.
Favorite Tech Memory: Meeting my people, including my future wife!
Learn more about the 2025 class on the Georgia Tech Alumni Association’s website or by exploring the interactive honoree dashboard.
Lecturer Lesley Baradel and Senior Academic Professional Christie Stewart from the School of Biological Sciences have been awarded an Innovation Incubator grant from the Institute's Transformative Teaching and Learning (TTL) initiative.
TTL grants support the development, implementation, and evaluation of transformative teaching projects in undergraduate courses. This third round of TTL grants focuses on community-based learning, an educational approach that integrates classroom instruction with meaningful community engagement.
“Community-based learning is a premier avenue for Georgia Tech to fulfill our mission in developing leaders who improve the human condition,” says Kate Williams, a senior academic professional at the Center for Teaching and Learning who leads faculty-facing efforts on behalf of the TTL initiative.
Serving Georgia Tech — and beyond
Baradel and Stewart will use the grant to introduce a community service component to their class, Flourishing: Strategies for Well-Being and Resilience (APPH 1060). They co-created the course back in 2019.
“We developed the class based on student feedback,” says Stewart. “Students were very vocal about wanting a course where they could discuss emotional wellness and coping strategies.”
APPH 1060 has become a popular course taken by hundreds of Tech students every year and fulfills one of three options to satisfy the Institute’s wellness requirement. The class helps students improve their overall well-being by introducing strategies to build skills in coping, resilience, optimism, mindfulness, and emotional intelligence.
The instructors teach separate course sections but coordinate class content.
With support from the Innovation Incubator grant, Baradel and Stewart are reimagining the course’s signature team project. Previously focused on campus wellness initiatives, the project will now connect students with community partners to address real-world needs and incorporate high-impact practices such as teamwork, leadership, and structured reflection. Based on their interests, students will choose from a list of community projects, then work in teams to implement solutions.
“The revamped APPH 1060 course will encourage students to consider happiness and well-being while also collaborating and strengthening the capacity of neighboring communities,” says Sarah Brackmann, director of community-based learning in the Office of Undergraduate Education and Student Success.
“In the past, the students came up with great ideas to improve wellness at Georgia Tech, but the projects rarely moved beyond the design stage. The TTL funding helps us transform ideas into action,” explains Stewart.
The instructors plan to partner with organizations such as Hands On Atlanta — tackling Atlanta’s most pressing needs — and Once Upon a Room — decorating hospital rooms for children.
“We frequently talk with the students about gratitude and purpose,” says Baradel. “Incorporating a community service element gives them the chance to bring those values to life in a meaningful, measurable way.”
To evaluate the project’s effectiveness, Baradel and Stewart will use a mixed-method approach, including pre- and post-course surveys, student reflections, and feedback from community partners. In addition to measuring academic learning, the goal will be to assess students’ personal growth, civic engagement, and emotional well-being.
Looking ahead
The enhanced version of APPH 1060 will launch in Spring 2026 — following a year of planning, partnership development, and TTL workshops. Baradel and Stewart believe the new structure will lead to a more immersive and impactful version of the class, and they hope it can become a model for integrating wellness and service learning across campus.
“We want our students to leave this course with more than just knowledge,” shares Stewart. “Our goal is to instill community service as a value and empower students to make a difference.”
“We are excited about what we can do with this grant,” adds Baradel, “not just in the classroom, but in the community and in transforming students’ lives.”
The College of Sciences is pleased to announce Jenny McGuire as the recipient of the Harry and Anna Teasley Professorship in Ecology.
The newly endowed faculty position supports research and teaching that meaningfully advances the understanding and responsible stewardship of species and community dynamics amid evolving ecological interactions driven by global environmental change.
McGuire, an associate professor in the School of Biological Sciences and the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, was selected for her pioneering ecological research and exceptional teaching efforts.
“Jenny’s creative and fundamental research in spatial and community ecology is helping to position Georgia Tech as a leader in biodiversity and ecosystem conservation,” says Todd Streelman, professor and chair of the School of Biological Sciences. “Her appointment continues a trend in the School to award research endowments to our most promising early- and mid-career scientists and highlights the strong support and generosity of alumni such as the Teasley family.”
Meet Jenny McGuire
McGuire joined the Georgia Tech faculty in 2017 as an assistant professor. She earned a Ph.D. in Integrative Biology from the University of California, Berkeley, and completed postdoctoral research at the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center and the University of Washington.
Her research explores how plants and animals respond to environmental changes across space and time — from the ancient past to modern urban environments to the future. She leads the Spatial Ecology and Paleontology Lab, which integrates paleontological data, ecological modeling, and fieldwork to understand how biodiversity shifts in response to climate change and human development.
“Our goal isn’t just to preserve biodiversity, but also to help it thrive in a changing landscape,” says McGuire.
She plans to use the Teasley endowment to advance wildlife redistribution research in the Southeastern U.S.
“Georgia is a climate change highway,” explains McGuire. “Species are moving northeast toward the Appalachian Mountains, but roads, development, and fragmented habitats often block their paths.”
McGuire believes Georgia Tech is uniquely positioned to lead in this field, thanks to its technological strengths. She and her team will collaborate across campus and the Southeast, implementing cutting-edge biodiversity monitoring to better understand how species experience and respond to environmental changes.
“Conducting this research in urban areas like Atlanta — where green infrastructure can serve as vital wildlife corridors — is especially important,” adds McGuire.
The Teasley Professorship will also support student involvement at all levels. McGuire hopes to build a more connected and proactive research community that brings together students, ecologists, biologists, engineers, computer scientists, and community partners to address biodiversity challenges across the Southeast.
McGuire is a 2024 Cullen-Peck Fellow, a Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems Faculty Fellow since 2023, and an NSF CAREER Award winner. Her long-running outreach program, Fossil Fridays, invites students, families, and community members into the lab to sort and study real fossil specimens.
Looking ahead, she’s eager to explore the possibilities provided by the Teasley Professorship.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to elevate Georgia Tech’s role in shaping how we understand and protect life on a changing planet.”
A legacy of excellence
Harry E. Teasley, Jr. graduated from Georgia Tech in 1959 with a degree in industrial engineering and worked for over 33 years for The Coca-Cola Company. In addition to the many leadership roles he held at Coca-Cola, Mr. Teasley is remembered for pioneering the first Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to be used in an industrial context. LCA was a pioneering analytical framework assessing environmental impacts of a product's life from "cradle to grave," and it is used across most major industries today.
The Harry and Anna Teasley Professorship in Ecology is the second Teasley Professorship supporting environmental research at Georgia Tech. School of Biological Sciences Regents’ Professor Mark Hay has held the Harry and Anna Teasley Chair in Environmental Biology since 1999.
Mrs. Teasley provided an official statement regarding the Harry and Anna Teasley Professorships at Georgia Tech:
“It was the intent of my late husband Harry E. Teasley Jr. that the funds he gave to Professor Mark Hay at Georgia Tech would be to support excellence in the field of environmental biology and to provide him with the freedom to study any concept, hypothesis, or organism that his experience-honed intuition guided him to.
With time, Professor Hay has proven to have been a very worthy choice and has made my late husband and I very proud through the breadth and depth of his studies, discoveries, and highest possible awards he has received. Once this was established, and along with the profound esteem both men had developed for each other, there was the wish to leave a legacy beyond the research: the human values and scientific approach to research that Professor Hay has demonstrated from the start.
Having been the unanimous choice of the evaluating committee, Associate Professor Jenny McGuire seems to be an excellent first recipient, and I am very proud to welcome her as I know my late husband would have been as well.
I wish her many successes in pursuing and teaching her very promising research, and I look forward to learning about the impact she will have in her field as we have through the years admired Professor Mark Hay’s achievements.
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To learn more about Transforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech, visit transformingtomorrow.gatech.edu.
Georgia Tech has launched two new Interdisciplinary Research Institutes (IRIs): The Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS) and the Space Research Institute (SRI).
The new institutes focus on expanding breakthroughs in neuroscience and space, two areas where research and federal funding are anticipated to remain strong. Both fields are poised to influence research in everything from healthcare and ethics to exploration and innovation. This expansion of Georgia Tech’s research enterprise represents the Institute’s commitment to research that will shape the future.
“At Georgia Tech, innovation flourishes where disciplines converge. With the launch of the Space Research Institute and the Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society, we’re uniting experts across fields to take on some of humanity’s most profound questions. Even as we are tightening our belts in anticipation of potential federal R&D budget actions, we also are investing in areas where non-federal funding sources will grow and where big impacts are possible,” said Executive Vice President for Research Tim Lieuwen. "These institutes are about advancing knowledge — and using it to improve lives, inspire future generations, and help shape a better future for us all.”
Both INNS and SRI grew out of faculty-led initiatives shaped by a strategic planning process and campus-wide collaboration. Their evolution into formal institutes underscores the strength and momentum of Georgia Tech’s interdisciplinary research enterprise.
Georgia Tech’s 11 IRIs support collaboration between researchers and students across the Institute’s seven colleges, the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), national laboratories, and corporate entities to tackle critical topics of strategic significance for the Institute as well as for local, state, national, and international communities.
"IRIs bring together Georgia Tech researchers making them more competitive and successful in solving research challenges, especially across disciplinary boundaries,” said Julia Kubanek, vice president of interdisciplinary research. “We're making these new investments in neuro- and space-related fields to publicly showcase impactful discoveries and developments led by Georgia Tech faculty, attract new partners and collaborators, and pursue alternative funding strategies at a time of federal funding uncertainty."
The Space Research Institute
The Space Research Institute will connect faculty, students, and staff who share a passion for space exploration and discovery. They will investigate a wide variety of space-related topics, exploring how space influences and intersects with the human experience. The SRI fosters a collaborative community including scientific, engineering, cultural, and commercial research that pursues broadly integrated, innovative projects.
SRI is the hub for all things space-related at Georgia Tech. It connects the Institute’s schools, colleges, research institutes, and labs to lead conversations about space in the state of Georgia and the world. Working in partnership with academics, business partners, philanthropists, students, and governments, Georgia Tech is committed to staying at the forefront of space-related innovation.
The SRI will build upon the collaborative work of the Space Research Initiative, the first step in formalizing Georgia Tech’s broad interdisciplinary space research community. The Initiative brought together researchers from across campus and was guided by input from Georgia Tech stakeholders and external partners. It was led by an executive committee including Glenn Lightsey, John W. Young Chair Professor in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering; Mariel Borowitz, associate professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs; and Jennifer Glass, associate professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Beginning July 1, W. Jud Ready, a principal research engineer in GTRI’s Electro-Optical Systems Laboratory, will serve as the inaugural executive director of the Space Research Institute.
To receive the latest updates on space research and innovation at Georgia Tech, join the SRI mailing list.
The Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society
The Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS) is dedicated to advancing neuroscience and neurotechnology to improve society through discovery, innovation, and engagement. INNS brings together researchers from neuroscience, engineering, computing, ethics, public policy, and the humanities to explore the brain and nervous system while addressing the societal and ethical dimensions of neuro-related research.
INNS builds on a foundation established over a decade ago, which first led to the GT-Neuro Initiative and later evolved into the Neuro Next Initiative. Over the past two years, this effort has culminated in the development of a comprehensive plan for an IRI, guided by an executive committee composed of faculty and staff from across Georgia Tech. The committee included Simon Sponberg, Dunn Family Associate Professor in the School of Physics and the School of Biological Sciences; Christopher Rozell, Julian T. Hightower Chaired Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Jennifer Singh, associate professor in the School of History and Sociology; and Sarah Peterson, Neuro Next Initiative program manager. Their leadership shaped the vision for a research community both scientifically ambitious and socially responsive.
INNS will serve as a dynamic hub for interdisciplinary collaboration across the full spectrum of brain-related research — from biological foundations to behavior and cognition, and from fundamental research to medical innovations that advance human flourishing. Research areas will encompass the foundations of human intelligence and movement, bio-inspired design and neurotechnology development, and the ethical dimensions of a neuro-connected future.
By integrating technical innovation with human-centered inquiry, INNS is committed to ensuring that advances in neuroscience and neurotechnology are developed and applied ethically and responsibly. Through fostering innovation, cultivating interdisciplinary expertise, and engaging with the public, the institute seeks to shape a future where advancements in neuroscience and neurotechnology serve the greater good. INNS also aims to deepen Georgia Tech’s collaborations with clinical, academic, and industry partners, creating new pathways for translational research and real-world impact.
An internal search for INNS’s inaugural executive director is in the final stages, with an announcement expected soon.
Join our mailing list to receive the latest updates on everything neuro at Georgia Tech.
This week, Professor Joel Kostka was awarded the prestigious Humboldt Research Award by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation during its annual meeting and reception with Germany’s Federal President Steinmeier in Berlin. Every year, the Foundation grants up to 100 Humboldt Research Awards worldwide, which recognize internationally leading researchers of all disciplines.
The award’s €80,000 endowment will support a research trip to Germany for up to a year — during which Kostka will collaborate with Professor Marcel Kuypers, director of the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen, Germany — to assess the role of marine plant microbiomes in coastal marine ecosystem health and climate resilience.
Kostka, who holds joint appointments in the School of Biological Sciences and School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, is also the associate chair for research in Biological Sciences. He was recently named the inaugural faculty director of Georgia Tech for Georgia's Tomorrow. The new Center, announced by the College of Sciences in December 2024, will drive research aimed at improving life across the state of Georgia.
Wetlands in a changing climate
“Human population is centered on coastlines, and coastal ecosystems provide many services for people,” Kostka says. “Although they cover less than 1 percent of the ocean, coastal wetlands store over 50 percent of the seafloor’s rich carbon reserves.” But researchers aren’t sure how these ecosystems will respond to a changing climate.
Microbes may be the key. Microbes play a critical role in maintaining plant health and helping them adapt to stressors, Kostka says. Similar to human bodies, plants have microbiomes: a community of microbes intimately associated with the plant that help it take up nutrients, stimulate the plant’s immune system, and regulate plant hormones.
“Our research indicates that plant microbiomes are fundamental to wetland ecosystem health, yet almost everything we know about them is from agricultural systems,” he adds. “We know very little about the microbes associated with these important marine plants that dominate coastal ecosystems.”
Kostka’s work in Germany will investigate how microbiomes help coastal marine plants adapt to stress and keep them healthy. From there, he will investigate how plant microbiomes contribute to the carbon and nutrient cycles of coastal ecosystems — and how they contribute to ecosystem resilience.
Expanding collaboration — and insights
One goal of the collaboration is to exchange information on two types of marine plants that dominate coastal ecosystems worldwide: those associated with seagrass meadows and salt marshes.
“I’ve investigated salt marsh plants in the intertidal zone between tides, and my colleagues at the Max Planck Institute have focused on seagrass beds and seagrass meadows, which are subtidal, below the tides,” Kostka says. “While these two ecosystems have some different characteristics, they both cover large areas of the global coastline and are dominated by salt-tolerant plants.”
In salt marshes, Kostka has shown that marine plants have symbiotic microbes in their roots that help them to take up nitrogen and deal with stress by removing toxic sulfides. He suspects that these plant-microbe interactions are critical to the resilience of coastal ecosystems. “The Max Planck Institute made similar observations in seagrass meadows as we did in salt marshes,” Kostka explains. “But they found different bacteria.”
From Georgia to Germany
Beyond supporting excellence in research, another key goal of the Humboldt Research Award is to support international collaboration — something very familiar to Kostka. “I've been working with Professor Kuypers and the Max Planck Institute in Bremen for many years,” he says, adding that he completed his postdoctoral research at the Institute. “Max Planck's labs are some of the best in the world for what they do, and their imaging technology can give us an unprecedented look at plant-microbe interactions at the cellular level.”
“This project is also special because I am collaborating with other scientists in northern Germany,” Kostka adds. “The University of Bremen is home to the Center for Marine Environmental Sciences (MARUM), which is designated as a Cluster of Excellence by the German National Science Foundation, so there are a number of fantastic research centers in Bremen to work with.”
His hope is that this project will deepen collaboration between the research at Georgia Tech and research in Germany. “I look forward to seeing what we can uncover about these critical systems while working together.”
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