Bio
Dr. Tomás Allen Rush is an R&D Staff Scientist in the Biosciences Division at ORNL, specializing in mycology, plant pathology, and systems biology. His research investigates chemical signaling in fungal communities and its role in shaping plant-microbe interactions, with a focus on bioenergy crops such as poplar and switchgrass. He also applies omics-based approaches to study plant and human pathogens, exploring infection mechanisms, host interactions, and epidemiology.
With nearly 15 years of experience, Dr. Rush has led fungal biology research at institutions including Louisiana State University, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (Taiwan), and Chulalongkorn University (Thailand). He joined ORNL in 2019 as a postdoctoral researcher under Dr. Jessy Labbé and was promoted to staff scientist in 2021.
Dr. Rush advances the understanding of fungal metabolites and their ecological roles across a spectrum of organisms, from beneficial ectomycorrhizal fungi and dark septate endophytes to important pathogens such as Sphaerulina musiva and Cryphonectria parasitica. He collaborates on the development of computational tools that integrate machine learning and network science to uncover environmental drivers of metabolite production, as well as mechanisms underlying critical mineral and material accumulation and recovery. This work helps accelerate natural product discovery for applications in agriculture, bioenergy, and advanced biomaterials.
Committed to cultivating the next generation of scientists, Dr. Rush mentors early-career researchers and serves as an ORNL trainer at the University of Tennessee–Knoxville’s Bredesen Center, where he supports interdisciplinary graduate education in energy science, mycology, plant pathology, and systems biology.
Awards
Ford Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellowship
2015–2018
Fulbright Research Scholarship
Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, 2012–2013
Summer Internship at the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center
Shanhua, Taiwan, 2010
Education
Bachelor of Science in Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Louisiana State University, 2008
Master of Science in Plant Pathology
Louisiana State University, 2012
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Boston University, 2025
Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Pathology
University of Wisconsin–Madison, 2019
Professional Affiliations
- Genetics Society of America (GSA)
- American Phytopathological Society (APS)
- American Society for Microbiology (ASM)