Steve DiFazio, Ph.D.

I am currently a Program Director in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences at the National Science Foundation, and I am maintaining an Adjunct Faculty position due to my ongoing research program. I am broadly interested in plant genetics and genomics, with a focus on woody plants from the Salicaceae family (aspens, cottonwoods, and willows). My recent work centers on mechanisms and evolution of sex determination and the ecological consequences of dioecy. I'm also interested in tree improvement for the bioproducts industry, focusing on cell wall characteristics and adaptive traits.