Bio
Dr. Tomás Allen Rush is an R&D Associate Staff Scientist in the Biosciences Division at ORNL, specializing in mycology, plant pathology, and systems biology. His research investigates chemical signaling in fungal communities and its role in shaping plant-microbe interactions, with a focus on bioenergy crops such as poplar and switchgrass. He also applies omics-based approaches to study plant and human pathogens, exploring infection mechanisms, host interactions, and epidemiology.
With nearly 15 years of experience, Dr. Rush has led fungal biology research at institutions including Louisiana State University, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (Taiwan), and Chulalongkorn University (Thailand). He joined ORNL in 2019 as a postdoctoral researcher under Dr. Jessy Labbé and was promoted to staff scientist in 2021.
Dr. Rush’s work advances understanding of fungal metabolites and their ecological functions—from beneficial fungi like ectomycorrhizal species and dark septate endophytes to pathogens such as Sphaerulina musiva. He collaborates on developing computational tools that use machine learning and network science to identify environmental triggers of metabolite production, accelerating natural product discovery for agriculture, bioenergy, and biomaterials. He is also committed to mentoring early-career scientists and currently serves as an ORNL trainer at the University of Tennessee–Knoxville’s , supporting interdisciplinary graduate education in energy science and engineering.
Awards
Ford Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellowship
2015–2018
Fulbright Research Scholarship
Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, 2012–2013
Summer Internship at the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center
Shanhua, Taiwan, 2010
Education
Bachelor of Science in Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Louisiana State University, 2008
Master of Science in Plant Health
Louisiana State University, 2012
Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Pathology
University of Wisconsin–Madison, 2019
Professional Affiliations
- Genetics Society of America (GSA)
- American Phytopathological Society (APS)
- American Society for Microbiology (ASM)