Razieh Yazdani, PhD, is the plant pathology research scientist at The Morton Arboretum’s Center for Tree Science, leading the Plant Pathology Research Group.
Her work focuses on understanding the biology, detection, and management of tree diseases that threaten forest and urban ecosystems. She integrates laboratory, greenhouse, and field-based approaches to develop practical, science-based solutions that support long-term tree health, biodiversity, and ecosystem resilience.
Yazdani’s research interests center on developing innovative tools and strategies to better understand, detect, and manage diseases affecting trees and forest ecosystems. Her work includes developing high-throughput methods for pathogen detection and quantification, with a particular focus on oomycete pathogens and organisms associated with oak decline. She is also interested in understanding how plant pathogenic organisms infect and cause disease, with the goal of improving early detection, diagnosis, and disease prevention strategies.
At The Morton Arboretum, Yazdani applies her expertise to advance integrated pest and disease management practices for trees in urban and natural landscapes. Her research investigates sustainable approaches to tree disease management while supporting forest health and resilience in the face of emerging threats.
In addition, Yazdani studies belowground ecosystem interactions by using soil nematode communities as bioindicators to evaluate the effects of forest management practices, including prescribed burning. Her work explores the relationships between tree roots, soil organisms, and soil health to better understand how management decisions influence ecosystem function and long-term forest sustainability. By integrating plant pathology, forest ecology, and soil biology, her research contributes to developing evidence-based strategies for protecting and restoring healthy forest ecosystems.
