Kari Dunfield
Biography
Prof. Kari Dunfield is a professor in the School of Environmental Sciences and holds a Canada Research Chair in Environmental Microbiology of Agro-Ecosystems. Her research focuses on the impacts of human activities on soil health and ecosystem functions, with interests in applied soil ecology, molecular microbial ecology, and soil microbiology. The long-term goal of her research program is to study the relationship between genetic diversity of soil microbial communities and soil ecosystem functioning. Prof. Dunfield’s research uses molecular biology techniques to assess how agricultural and environmental practices impact soil microbial communities and microbially mediated soil processes, such as nitrogen cycling. She conducts her work through collaborative research programs with research groups across the University of Guelph campus.