Department of Forestry and Horticulture
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
123 Huntington Street
P.O. Box 1106
New Haven, CT 06504
Voice: (203) 974-8491  Fax:  (203) 974-8502
E-mail:  Adriana.ArangoVelez@ct.gov

Expertise:

Dr. Arango-Velez has expertise in plant adaptation and response mechanisms to biotic and abiotic stresses. Dr. Arango-Velez studies plants at different levels ranging from physiological, biochemical and anatomical to molecular analyses in crops and tree species. After working in the resistance mechanisms to coffee rust at the Colombian National Coffee Research, and the edaphic adaption to aluminum toxicity in pastures at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture; she examined the physiological basis for drought resistance in poplar clones for her doctoral research. Dr. Arango-Velez has also developed interest and expertise in different response mechanisms across multiple levels of plant defense, linking patterns between gene expression, signaling hormone responses, wood anatomy and physiological processes during plant-pathogen interactions under water limitation. 

Education:

Ph.D. University of Alberta (Forest Biology and Management) 2010

M.Sc. Universidad Nacional de Colombia (Agricultural Sciences-Plant Physiologist) 2004

B.Sc. Universidad Nacional de Colombia (Engineer Agronomist) 2000

Career history:

Postdoctoral Fellow with Dr. Janice Cooke, Plant Molecular Physiology, Biology Department at the University of Alberta, 2010-2014.

Station career:

Assistant Scientist II 2014-present

Past Research:

Adriana was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the TRIA Project (Mountain Pine Beetle) at the University of Alberta where she examined different response mechanisms of pines to the mountain pine beetle and its associated fungi blue stain.

Current Research:

Dr. Arango-Velez research focuses on the constitutive (always present) and induced (temporary) defense mechanism in plants to insects and pathogens. The plant/insect interaction studies center on (1) conifer defenses to southern pine beetle, and (2) response of ash and fringe tree to emerald ash borer.

Additionally she is leading two more projects in relation to the ecophysiology of urban trees in a changing climate - evaluating adaptation strategies of maples, oaks and white pine to soil compaction; and mycorrhiza influence in salt detoxification in sugar maple. 

Outreach:

BIOGENIC

It is a non-profit group focused in promoting and communicating scientific issues for the general Hispanic community.

http://www.biogeniccolombia.org

http://biogenic-colombia.blogspot.com

Arango-Velez A., Leonardo M. Galindo Gonzalez, Miranda J. Meents, Walid El Kayal, Barry J. Cooke, Jean Linsky, Inka Lusebrink, Janice E.K. Cooke (2014) Influence of water deficit on the molecular responses ofPinus contorta x Pinus banksiana mature trees to infection by the mountain pine beetle fungal associate,Grosmannia clavigera. Tree Physiology 34: 1220-1239. 

Dawn E Hall, Macaire M Yuen, Sharon Jancsik, Alfonso Lara Quesada, Harpreet K Dullat, Maria Li, Hannah Henderson, Adriana Arango-Velez, Nancy Y Liao, Roderick T Docking, Simon K Chan, Janice EK Cooke, Colette Breuil, Steven JM Jones, Christopher I Keeling, Jorg Bohlmann (2013) Transcriptome resources and functional characterization of monoterpene synthases for two host species of the mountain pine beetle, lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and jack pine (Pinus banskiana). BMC Plant Biology. 13:80.

Arango-Velez A., Zwiazek, J.J., Thomas, B.B., Tyree, M.T. (2011) Stomatal factors and vulnerability of stem xylem to cavitation in poplars. Physiologia Plantarum.143:154-165.

Arango-Velez A., Ments M., Linsky J., El Kayal W., Adams E., Galindo L., Cooke J. (2011) Influence of water deficit on the induced and constitutive responses of pines to infection by mountain pine beetle fungal associates. BMC Proceedings. 5 Suppl 7:029.

Rao I., Wenzl P., Arango A., Miles J., Watanabe T., Shinano T., Osaki M., Wagatsuma T., Manrique G., Beebe S., Tohme J., Ishitani M., Rangel A., Horst W. (2008) Advances in developing screening methods and improving aluminum resistance in common bean and Brachiaria. R. Bras. Agrociencia, Pelotas. 14:1-7.

Wenzl P, Arango A., Chaves A.L., Buitrago M.E., Patiño G.M., Miles J., and Rao I.M. (2006) A greenhouse screening procedure to identify acid soil-adapted genotypes of the tropical forage grass Brachiaria. Crop Science 46: 968-973.