Dr. Kochian received his B.S. in Botany from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1978 and his Ph.D. in Plant Physiology from the University of California, Davis, in 1985. Subsequently, Dr. Kochian joined USDA-ARS as a Plant Physiologist at the U.S. Plant, Soil and Nutrition Laboratory, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, where he continues to work. He currently is the Lab Director of the USDA laboratory as well as a Professor in the Departments of Plant Biology and Crop and Soil Sciences at Cornell. Dr. Kochian’s research program deals with fundamental aspects of plant mineral nutrient transport with emphasis on improving the accumulation of nutritionally important mineral nutrients in plants (Fe, Zn), minimizing the entry of toxic heavy metals (Cd, Pb) into the food chain, and the phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated soils. Another related component of Dr. Kochian’s research deals with plant responses to environmental stress, with a primary focus on mechanisms of aluminum toxicity and tolerance for plants growing on acid soils. Dr. Kochian’s research approach involves the interdisciplinary application of methodologies in the areas of molecular biology, plant physiology, biochemistry, genetics, and membrane biophysics.

Email address: lvk1@cornell.edu