Mahal is a PhD student in the Evolution, Ecology & Population Biology program. She works in the lab of Dr. Rachel Penczykowski, where she studies (1) how urbanization alters soil abiotic and biotic properties and (2) the consequences of these altered properties on plant communities. She received her BS in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from Agnes Scott College. Her undergraduate research was in the lab of Dr. Jaap de Roode at Emory University, where she studied how host diet may impact both the gut microbiome and parasitic resistance of monarch butterflies. Mahal is eager to provide feedback on all types of scientific communication.
Areas of expertise: Ecology & Evolution · Microbiology · Soil Science