Kerri Crawford, Ph.D. | Associate Professor
Kerri is broadly interested in all things plants and microbes. Outside of science, you can find her reading, cooking, drinking tea, and eating at all the amazing restaurants in Houston.
Email: kmcrawford3@uh.edu Phone: 1.713.743.8948 Office: SR2 242F Lab: 231
Graduate Students
Collin Dice | Ph.D. Candidate
Collin is joined the Crawford lab in Fall 2023 and is studying plant-microbe interactions and microbial restoration techniques in the Texas Coastal Prairie. He is interested in how prescribed fire alters plant-soil feedbacks, how microbes can be used to control invasive species, and how mutualistic microbes can facilitate grassland succession. In his free time, Collin enjoys video games, running, DnD, and karaoke.
Dilshini Thathsarani | Ph.D. Student
Dil is a PhD student in the Crawford Lab at the University of Houston (starting Fall 2025), after completing her Master’s in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Kansas (2023–2025). During Dil’s Master’s, she investigated how plant species richness and phylogenetic dispersion influence biodiversity benefits through root trait analyses, soil hyphal abundance measurements, and microbiome community analyses under different cropping systems and disturbance regimes. Her PhD research will expand on this work by examining how drought legacies shape microbial community assembly and plant–soil feedbacks, using molecular tools such as DNA extraction and plant genotyping. Outside of research, she enjoys cooking Sri Lankan and Indian dishes and experimenting with new recipes.
Kenneth Oppon | Ph.D. Student
For most of his life, Kenny paid little attention to the natural world. But after taking a few ecology and botany courses in his undergrad, he became hooked, and hasn’t stopped asking questions about plants and their environments ever since. Joining the lab in Fall 2026 as a PhD student, Kenny studies how plant-soil interactions shape plant community assembly and species coexistence processes to better inform landscape restoration efforts. Outside of the lab, you’ll likely find him playing or watching sports, especially cheering on Manchester United.
Post-Bacc Students
Knox Tant | Post-Baccalaureate Student
Knox joined the Crawford Lab in Summer 2026 as a part of the STEGG-INTERACT program hosted by the University of Houston. During this program, they will be testing how genetic variation within a dominant dune grass species influences fungal community composition in surrounding soils. They are broadly interested in botany, geographic variation, and species interactions. Outside of research, Knox enjoys reading, being in nature, and spending time with their cat.
Undergraduate Students
Afridha Thamzeen Abdul Shafeeq | Independent Study | SURF ’25, PURS ’26
Afridha joined the Crawford Lab in Fall 2024 and is studying how fungi isolated from plants in both low and high-water environments influence plant resistance across contrasting water conditions. She is interested in how root-derived endophytic fungi contribute to plant resilience and grassland restoration. In her free time, Afridha enjoys painting, baking, and exploring Texas, especially Austin’s lakes and trails.
Damien Perry | Independent Study | Senior Capstone
Damien Perry is a senior biology student at UH and joined the lab in Spring 2025. He is interested in studying complex host-microbe interactions in a variety of plant and insect models as they pertain to ecology. At the Crawford lab, he is performing experiments to test whether coastal halophyte microbiomes significantly affect salinity tolerance and growth. He also serves as the lab’s social chair, planning social events and celebrations.
Khoi Tran | Independent Study | SURF ’26
Khoi is a senior studying Biology with a minor in Health, who joined the Crawford Lab in January 2026 and continued his work through the SURF fellowship. His project compares fungal community diversity in nursery-grown butterfly weed rhizosphere soils to Houston-area prairie soils using ITS2 amplicon sequencing. Khoi is interested in microorganisms and fungi, and hopes to continue developing research skills at the intersection of molecular biology and ecology while pursuing a career in biotech. Outside the lab, he enjoys watching movies, crocheting, painting, and trying new food around Houston.
Bryan Trinh | Independent Study
Bryan is a junior studying Biology, specializing in ecology and evolutionary biology. He joined the Crawford Lab in the Fall 2025 and is studying how endophytes affect both native and invasive plant species here in Texas. In his free time, he loves to play sports, cook, and explore new places.