Stéphanie Robert, professor
stephanie.robert@slu.se
I received my PhD at Paris XI University-Orsay, France in 2005, which was followed by two postdoc positions, the first at University of California, Riverside, USA and the second at VIB-Ghent University, Belgium.
I set up my lab at Umeå Plant Science Centre in 2010. As a professor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, I am involved in teaching at both Bachelor and Master levels and I am also in charge of the “Wood anatomy” lecture in the programme “Wood biology and wood formation”. I am now officiating as deputy head of the department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology. However, the vast majority of my working time is spent on research, together with my group members and collaborators.
In my free time I love photography, baking and crafting.

Siamsa Doyle, staff scientist
siamsa.doyle@slu.se
I received my PhD in 2010 at University College Dublin, Ireland.
I joined the Robert group in 2010, shortly after Stéphanie set up her lab at Umeå Plant Science Centre. I work on the model species Arabidopsis thaliana and Populus (aspen). In previous years in the group, I have focused on the roles of endomembrane trafficking, auxin transport and auxin signalling on the regulation of root responses to gravity and adventitious rooting. More recently, I have shifted my focus towards unraveling the roles of auxin, cell wall components, and mechanical and molecular signalling in regulating the fascinating jigsaw puzzle shape of leaf epidermal pavement cells and the development of the apical hook.
In my spare time I enjoy singing and travelling.

Hemamshu Ratnakaram, PhD student
hemamshu.ratnakaram@slu.se
I completed my Masters in Science at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Thiruvananthapuram, India, in 2022, majoring in Biology with a minor in Physics. I enjoy getting into the mechanical details of how things work, be it assemblies of cogs or cells, pistons or proteins.
In 2023 I joined the Robert group as a lab assistant, and later that year became a PhD student, and I am taking part in ongoing research into the role of the plant cuticle in developmental processes in the plant.
Outside of having fun exploring how and why plants grow and develop the way they do, and picking my colleagues’ brains trying to come to grips with experimental techniques and strategies, I also have fun exploring music: from Kygo and Zara Larsson to Feng Suave and Brahny. Always up for conversations, cycling and cooking.

Vinod Kumar, postdoc
vinod.kumar@slu.se
I received my PhD in 2020 at CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI), India. After my PhD, I worked as a postdoc at the CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), India for two years.
I joined the Robert group in 2023. I am currently involved in elucidating the role of inner cell layers in regulating the pavement cell shape of leaf epidermis in Arabidopsis.
I like nature photography, listening to songs, and playing chess and badminton.

Lin Mengzhuo, PhD student
lin.mengzhuo@slu.se
In 2021 I began my PhD studies at China Agricultural University, China, focusing on the role of the RNA epigenetic m6A methyltransferase in plant stress responses. In 2024 I joined the Robert group to undertake a one-year joint PhD programme at Umeå Plant Science Centre. During this year I will investigate the regulation of cell shape in Arabidopsis leaves.
In my spare time, I enjoy listening to music, photography, recording vlogs, playing table tennis, and I look forward to having a great time skiing during the winter here.

Grégoire Loupit, postdoc
gregoire.loupit@slu.se
I received my PhD in 2023 at University of Bordeaux, France.
My research has focused on understanding fundamental mechanisms during abiotic stress in plants through omics approaches, i.e. grafting, wound responses in grapevine (PhD), plant adaptation and plasticity of sub-Antarctic aquatic plant species to heat stress (first postdoc).
I joined the Robert group in 2025. My project aims to characterise regulatory mechanisms of cell shape acquisition between cuticle characteristics and pavement cells in leaf epidermis.
I like hiking, camping in nature, cooking, DJing and music festivals.

Lorinda Devi Loitongbam, postdoc
lorinda.devi.loitongbam@slu.se
I completed my PhD in 2024 at BRIC-National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi (BRIC-NIPGR), India, where I investigated the roles of brassinosteroids and auxin in regulating nitrogen-dependent root growth.
In 2025, I joined the Robert group as a postdoctoral researcher. My current work focuses on exploring how the mechanochemical properties of the cell wall influence cell fate determination in Arabidopsis roots – specifically, deciphering how an epidermal cell differentiates into a root hair.
Outside the lab, I love bird watching, collecting wildflowers, reading novels, and writing poems and lyrics.

Rahul Puthan Valappil, postdoc
rahul.puthan.valappil@slu.se
I completed my BS-MS in 2017 and my PhD in 2024 at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, India, where I later worked as a Research Fellow. My research has explored plant developmental processes such as photomorphogenesis, light and hormone-mediated early seedling development, chlorophyll biosynthesis, and flowering time regulation in Arabidopsis thaliana.
I joined the Robert group as a Postdoctoral Researcher in August 2025 to investigate the role of cuticle in apical hook development in plants.
Outside the lab, I enjoy traveling, photography, cooking, badminton, chess, and riding motorcycles.

Markéta Buderová, PhD student
marketa.buderova@slu.se
I started my studies at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic and completed my Master’s degree in Plant and Forest Biotechnology at Umeå University, Sweden in June 2025. During my undergraduate years I explored various topics and being at Umeå Plant Science Centre for part of my studies made me realize that plants are my main interest, therefore I started a PhD within the Robert group in September 2025.
The aim of my project is to understand how coordinated hormonal and genetic networks, in combination with mechanical feedback mechanisms, regulate morphogenesis during plant development with particular focus on the apical hook.
Outside the lab, I enjoy climbing, hiking, dancing, and spending time in nature, as well as trying new things and meeting new people.

Former postdocs and PhD students

2022-2025: Sandeep Yadav, postdoc.
2023-2025: Adrien Heymans, postdoc.
2016-2024: Sara Raggi, postdoc & staff scientist
– now lead scientist at SweTree Technologies, Sweden.
2019-2022: François Jobert, postdoc
– now research engineer at the University of Picardie Jules Verne, France.
2020-2021: Petra Marhava, postdoc
– now has her own lab at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia.
2019-2021: Ying Wang, postdoc.
2019-2021: Zahra Rahneshan, postdoc.
2017-2021: Sijia Liu, postdoc
– now has her own lab at Shenyang Agricultural University, China.
2015-2018: Peter Grones, postdoc
– now has his own lab at Wageningen University, The Netherlands (link).
2013-2018: Mateusz Majda, PhD student
– now has his own lab at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland (link).
2013-2015: Deepak Kumar Barange, postdoc
– now research scientist at Colorado State University, USA.
2012-2018: Qian Ma, postdoc
– now research scientist at Ghent University, Belgium (link).
2012-2016: Adeline Rigal, postdoc.
2011-2016: Thomas Vain, PhD student.
2010-2012: Ash Haeger, postdoc
– now clinical scientist at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK.

Former project students

2023: Tanguy Mouton.
2022: Dimitri Ducrocq.
2021: Pauline Delobel; Cécile Perrollaz.
2020: David Radianu; Amritha Nagendra Prasad.

2016: Filip Buchel; Aisha Beshirova; Anna Oravetzová.
2014: Barbora Pařízková.
2013: Vanessa Schmidt; Adeline David; Lennard van der Woude.
2012: Laetitia Ameglio; Emeline Griveaux; Marie-Line Faucillion.
2011: Małgorzata Łangowska; Marcus Andersson.