Congratulations to Gustavo MacIntosh as one of three ISU faculty awarded LAS Dean’s Professorships for their innovative research!  This is a great honor and quite competitive!  We are excited to see his work being recognized in the College this way.  So congratulations, Gustavo, and wishing you continued success in all you do!!

 

Gustavo MacIntosh studies two primary areas of plant science. His fundamental research delves into the interactions between soybean plants and aphids, a common and destructive pest. This research has enabled key soybean-industry stakeholders to improve pest-management practices and selectively breed more pest-resistant plants.

Gustavo MacIntosh (Christopher Gannon/Iowa State University)

“As aphids have become a widespread problem, farmers are using more pesticides,” MacIntosh said. “Our work can reduce pesticides by contributing to the development of aphid-resistant plants, which are better for farmers, pollinators, and our environment.”

MacIntosh also studies how cells recycle their own structures, such as ribosomes, which influence disease development. This research provides insight into plant cellular mechanisms and helps us understand the causes of human diseases.

Internationally known for his plant science expertise, MacIntosh has published more than 50 peer-reviewed papers. He was elected president of the American Society for Plant Biologists. MacIntosh is frequently invited to speak at international conferences and is the editor of Plant Direct, a journal of the American Society of Plant Biologists.

A tireless advocate for diversity issues in academia, MacIntosh is highly regarded as a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) thought leader. His efforts to diversify graduate plant science programs earned him funding from the National Science Foundation. MacIntosh served as chair of Iowa State University’s DEI committee for three years. He is a current member of the equity and inclusion committee for the Genetics Society of America.

MacIntosh is grateful to receive this award.

“This support from the LAS Dean’s Professorship allows me to explore research that is high-risk and a bit more radical,” MacIntosh said. “The funds will also help me to continue important DEI initiatives at Iowa State and around the world.”

MacIntosh joined Iowa State University in 2003. He earned a bachelor of science in biology from the Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata in Argentina and a Ph.D. in biological chemistry from the Universidad de Buenos Aires in Argentina.