Kelly S. Allen, Plant Technologist

Biography

Kelly joined the Arnold Arboretum as a Plant Technologist supporting the Plant Growth Facilities at the Weld Hill Research Center. She is a plant pathologist with expertise in plant disease biology and management, fungal and oomycete pathogens, and molecular plant-microbe interactions.

Kelly earned her BS in Plant, Soil & Insect Sciences and her PhD in Plant Biology from UMass Amherst. Her graduate research focused on diseases of basil, including fungicide and biological control strategies for managing basil downy mildew and Fusarium wilt, the long-term survival of the basil downy mildew pathogen Peronospora belbahrii, and the identification and validation of genes involved in basil downy mildew resistance. During her postdoctoral research, she studied the evolution of the downy mildew pathogen and the molecular mechanisms underlying pathogen virulence. Outside of her work at the Arboretum, Kelly continues this research as a project scientist with the US Basil Consortium, where she studies pathogen evolutionary genomics.

Before beginning her academic training at UMass Amherst, Kelly was a Hunnewell Horticultural Intern at the Arnold Arboretum. She also worked as a horticulturist and arborist for commercial landscaping companies and public gardens throughout the Boston area. These experiences fostered her deep appreciation for plant health, horticulture, and the care and cultivation of plants.

Outside of work, Kelly enjoys spending time with her beloved cats, hiking throughout New England, and kayaking.