She is a project leader in Plant-Biotic Interactions at the John Innes Centre (JIC). Her research focuses on the dissection of molecular mechanisms involved in the establishment of interactions of plants with insect pests and insect-vectored pathogens. Her Ph.D. thesis research at Wageningen University and Research Centre, The Netherlands, focused on molecular aspects of luteovirus-aphid interactions.She became an independent Project Leader (Assistant Professor) in the Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University (OSU), USA, after receiving her Ph.D. degree in 1999. At OSU, she started new research projects on leafhopper and planthopper transmission of phytoplasmas and rhabdoviruses, and obtained tenure as Associate Professor in 2005.