Louisiana State University Department of Biological Sciences
DowellResearch Group
News

Natalie Roberts wins first place at Discover Day

April 23, 2026

Five students wearing presenter medals at a poster exhibition.
Student researchers at Discover Day, April 2026.

Congratulations to Natalie Roberts on earning first place in the STEM poster presentation category at Discover Day 2026!

Natalie’s project, “Directed Growth Responses of Botrytis cinerea to Plant-Derived Terpenes,” explores a question at the center of our research: how does a fungal pathogen respond to the chemical environment created by its plant hosts?

The award recognizes Natalie’s work communicating this research through a scientific poster. We’re delighted to celebrate this achievement and the contributions of undergraduate researchers to the lab.

Explore our research on chemical defenses and pathogens.

In pictures

Students and mentors smiling together at Discover Day.
Supporting our undergraduate researchers, April 2026.
A student and mentor beside a poster about plant–pathogen interactions.
Plant–pathogen research on display, April 2026.
Discover Day 2026 results listing Natalie Roberts first in STEM poster presentations.
The Discover Day results announcement shared with the lab on April 23, 2026.