Lisa Farmer

Academic Interests:

My teaching approach aims to make learning and doing biology engaging, fun, and relatable. I want students to develop wonder and enthusiasm for the study of living things. As such, I encourage them to be curious about the natural world, connect their understanding of biological phenomena to their own lives, enjoy the process of learning, and demonstrate trainability and integrity while forging a path to their career goals. My narrower goals are to hone students’ critical thinking and analytical skills, guide them in taking an active approach to learning science, improve their understanding of scientific methods and literature, and learn to see themselves as potential future scientists.

Undergraduate laboratory courses are the perfect environment for students to practice hands-on, team-based, active learning and begin thinking, planning and communicating like scientists. Labs cultivate and develop experimental techniques and transferable skills that will serve students in many capacities. They also learn to draw connections across multiple biological disciplines including genetics, cell biology, biochemistry, organismal biology, ecology and evolution. Science often leads to discovery, but is an iterative process that often involves making mistakes and facing failures. Learning to collaborate and troubleshoot with others are key aspects of laboratory work that foster the growth of grit, emotional intelligence and resilience.

My research interests focus on the two fields that I love the most: genetics and plant biology. I use the long-established and widely-used Brassica model Mouse-Ear Cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) to study how plants mediate and respond to internal and external stresses from the genetic level to the physiological level. These sessile organisms are in a constant fight to survive the impacts of common abiotic and biotic stimuli, but are also being forced to rapidly adapt to anthropogenic pressures from humans. Using an array of experimental approaches, research students examine genetic mechanisms by which plants fortify themselves against reactive oxygen stresses leveraged by various stimuli. The genes we examine are broadly conserved across eukaryotes and could inform our understanding of both plant and animal stress responses.

Biography:

• Associate Teaching Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana (2025-present)
• Instructional Associate Professor, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas (2022-2025)
• Instructional Assistant Professor, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas (2016-2022)
• Adjunct Instructor, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas (2014-2016)
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas (2013-2015)
• Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Rice University, Houston, Texas (2009-2013)
• Instruction of Record, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Rice University, Houston, Texas (2010-2011)
• Teaching Assistant, Department of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2003)

Education:

• Ph.D. in Genetics, Department of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin (2009)

• B.S. in Biology, Honors, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (2002)

Selected Professional Activities:

• University of Houston Teaching Excellence Instructor/Clinical Award (2022-2023)

• John C. Butler Excellence in Teaching Award, College of Natural Science and Mathematics, University of Houston (2020-2021)

• University of Houston Provost’s Core Teaching Excellence Award (2020-2021)

• NIH T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship, Baylor College of Medicine (2013-2015)

• Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE), Member (2016-present)

• American Society of Plant Biologists, Member (2003-present)

Teaching Specialties:

Genetics and Genomics
Molecular and Cellular Biology
RNA Biology
Plant Genetics and Biochemistry
Plant Anatomy and Physiology