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. Student
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.
Post-Bacc Students
Jasmine Morris | Post-Baccalaureate Student
Jasmine joined the Crawford Lab in Summer 2025 as a part of the STEGG-INTERACT program hosted by the University of Houston. During this program, she will be studying the chemical ecology of a dioecious plant species, Ilex Vomitoria. She is interested in how male and female plants differ in their chemical responses to stressors, such as herbivory and climate change. Outside of the lab, she is interested in art, music, and fishing.
Undergraduate Students
Afridha Thamzeen Abdul Shafeeq | Independent Study | SURF ’25
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.
Ella Eger | Undergraduate Assistant
Ella is a senior studying Civil Engineering with a minor in Energy and Sustainability, and she joined the Crawford lab in Spring 2025. Currently studying plant-microbe interactions in sand dunes along the Texas Coast, she is also interested in coastal adaptation through nature-based solutions, environmental policy, and coastal impacts of climate change. On campus, Ella is the Operations Chair for the UH Ambassadors, a National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenge Scholar, a tutor for the Scholars Enrichment Program, and a civil engineering mentor for the Leadership, Engagement, and Professionalism (LEAP) Program.
Salwa Khan | Independent Study
Salwa is setting up an experiment that screens root-derived fungal endophytes for negative effects on a problematic invasive plant species in Texas, Brazilian vervain.