People

Principal Investigator

Priya Ramakrishna is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Engineering and leads the Plant Adaptation Laboratory (PAL) at EPFL.

She was a postdoc at the Laboratory of Biological Geochemistry at EPFL where she led the first application of the newly developed CryoNanoSIMS ion imaging pipeline on plant tissues. The study revealed new insights into subcellular strategies plants use to cope with salinity stress. She holds an Engineering in Biotech from India, with Masters and PhD in plant biology from the University of Nottingham, UK and postdoc at the University of Geneva, CH.

Emylène Ostertag is a laboratory technician specialized in biology. After her apprenticeship at EPFL in a research laboratory of environmental biotechnology, she did 3 years of neuroscience research at the CHUV. Since January 2025, She works in the LGB group at EPFL, while also providing support to PAL and studies symbiosis and functionalities of marine and terrestrial ecosystem.  Skilled in molecular biology, immunology, microbiology and proteomics, she is also passionate about nature, technology, sports and spirituality.

She loves to laugh and meet people from all around the world!

Francesca Cazzaniga is a postdoc with a strong background in molecular biology and genetics. She obtained her degree in Biotechnology from the University of Milan and a PhD in Genetics and Molecular Biology from Sapienza University of Rome. Throughout her scientific journey, she has been driven by a common goal: Understanding how plants respond to stress conditions, with a particular focus on salt stress during her doctoral studies. At PAL she investigates in greater depth how plant roots adapt to saline environments. Passionate about molecular biology, genetics, and genome engineering applied to plant systems, she is equally fascinated by biodiversity and nature conservation.

Outside the lab, she enjoys outdoor adventures, especially those involving plenty of snow and skiing.

Michelle Yang is a Doctoral Assistant at PAL. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Molecular, Cell, and Development Biology B.S. and Public Affairs B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles. After graduating, she worked in José Dinneny’s lab at Stanford University as a research assistant for one and a half years on a synthetic biology project aimed to uncover the regulatory process of root hair formation, and a biodiversity project aimed to identify other potential model plant organisms. Moving on to her own project, she wishes to further understand the salinity signalling and regulatory pathway. Aside from being in the lab, she is equally into the elements, nature, and law.

In free time, Michelle enjoys climbing, hiking, watching movies, and discovering new restaurants.  

Paula Mogrovejo is a visiting student at PAL. She holds a degree in Biology from the University of Granada and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Integrative Biology and Plant
Physiology – Biomass Engineering for the Bioeconomy at AgroParisTech.
Throughout her academic career, she has developed a strong interest in plant
biology and interdisciplinary approaches to research. Her interest focuses particularly on the study of plants in the face of climate change, as well as on the applications of plant biotechnology to address environmental and agricultural challenges.

Outside the lab, Paula enjoys discovering new places and cultural experiences, and staying active through swimming and hiking.