Raul Zavaliev
Assistant Professor of Cell Biology 
Zavaliev Lab
Education
M.S. Molecular and Cellular Biology, Tel Aviv University
B.S. Biology, Tel Aviv University
Experience
Research
My lab studies the plant immune system and its relationship with growth and developmental processes. We use various disease models to understand how the plant immune responses reprogram cellular homeostasis and tissue organization during pathogenesis. Our goal is to uncover molecular mechanisms that coordinate immunity across cell types and tissues, and determine how these processes impact cell identity and survival.
Plants are uniquely suited for studying innate immunity and intercellular communication because their cells are immobile and remain interconnected throughout development and physiological responses. One of our main research directions is the identification of cell-to-cell signaling pathways involved in the establishment of systemic immunity in plants. We are particularly interested in understanding how cellular identity following differentiation determines cell's ability to detect danger, mount immune responses, and communicate these signals to other cells.
To address these questions, we use bacterial pathogens and their effector proteins to probe host responses both in susceptible and resistant interactions. We look at how differentiated cells perform their primary physiological functions while responding to pathogen attack, and how effectively they are able to activate and communicate immunity across the tissue.
Our lab is part of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and is located in the Science Building at the Kennesaw campus.
To learn more about our research and open positions please visit Zavaliev Lab website.
