Going Native

Wheat feeds billions of people every day. What if we could harness wheat to not just fill stomachs, but also be a catalyst to improve human health? This question led me to an academic path at the intersection of plant breeding, quantitative genetics, and human health. As a PhD student and FFAR Fellow at Washington State University, my research focuses on improving the nutritional quality of wheat by increasing its iron and zinc concentrations.

There is, however, a long-standing challenge. Historically, higher iron and zinc concentrations in wheat have been linked to lower grain yield.

My vision is a future where nutritional quality is considered alongside yield, not in competition with it. This shift matters because micronutrient malnutrition, often called hidden hunger, affects more than two billion people worldwide. These numbers represent real lives. They include young women, pregnant women, and children under five, groups whose health shapes the future of families, communities, and entire nations.

Wheat is especially well-suited to addressing this challenge because it is already a global staple. One of the biggest barriers in nutrition interventions is introducing new foods into established diets. With wheat, that barrier does not exist. People already depend on it daily, which means improving its nutritional value can have an immediate and far-reaching impact.

My research explores one of wheat’s wild relatives, Aegilops tauschii, a species known to naturally contain higher levels of iron and zinc. By crossing this wild relative with common wheat using traditional breeding methods, we can improve wheat’s micronutrient concentration with minimal yield penalty. In fact, my results have already identified specific wheat genotypes that break the traditional trade-off: they not only have higher iron and zinc concentration than the population average but also exceed the average for yield. In practical terms, this means seed that can deliver better nutrition without asking growers to sacrifice their bottom line, when grown in the right environments.

When I talk about this work with friends and family, the question I hear most often is, “Is this GMO?” The answer is no. This work does not involve genetic engineering. It relies on conventional plant breeding, the same old crossing good with good to create something better. This matters because it removes a major hurdle to adoption, particularly in regions where genetically modified crops face regulatory or social restrictions.

Of course, science alone is not enough. Growers must be willing to plant these varieties, and markets must begin to recognize nutritional quality as something worth valuing and possibly even paying a premium for. Policymakers, researchers, breeders, growers, and consumers all have a role to play in redefining what success looks like in agriculture.

This is where communication becomes just as important as the research itself. Growers are unlikely to search Google Scholar or read peer-reviewed journals. If this work is going to make a difference beyond the lab, I need to meet people where they are and clearly explain why it matters. This is where the FFAR Fellows comes in. As a FFAR Fellow, I have strengthened my presentation skills, learned interpersonal communication and collaboration skills, and developed a Fellows network that