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The UNT College of Science congratulations Dr. Róisín C. McGarry on her Assistant Professorship with the UNT Biological Sciences department! Dr. McGarry's research in plant development is focused on architecture regulation with the goal of enhancing crop productivity. 

“My research investigates the signals regulating meristem activity and identity, and how those signals contribute to diverse forms and structures in different plants,” said Dr. McGarry, who has been working as a Research Associate Professor and collaborating with fellow researchers in UNT’s BioDiscovery Institute since its inception in 2016. “This understanding provides mechanisms to enhance crop yield and benefit management strategies and offers insight into crop domestication.” 

Dr. McGarry received her BS and MS in Canada before attending Cornell University to complete her Ph.D. in Plant Biology. Her doctoral research was awarded a national scholarship from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. While working on her postdoctoral research at UNT, she was also visiting scholar at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Germany and the University of Georgia. 

Last year, Dr. McGarry and Dr. Brian G. Ayre received research grants from the USDA to further our understanding of cotton plant development and purchase equipment to enhance the research capabilities of plant scientists in the North Texas and Southern Oklahoma region. Dr. McGarry was also featured in an article in The North Texan in 2023 for potential implications of her work in the fashion industry. 

“I am excited to share my passion for plant development with my students,” said Dr. McGarry. “I want my students who think they need to complete specific classes or have certain qualifications before they can join a research lab to know that they are good enough right now.”