Dr Claire Moulton-Brown (PhD, MBiol, AFHEA)

Post Doctoral Research Associate

Biography

Background

Claire Moulton-Brown is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the laboratory of Professor Thorunn Helgason at the University of Edinburgh, where her research explores the intricate interactions between plants, soils, and microbes. Her current work focuses on understanding how arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and broader fungal communities respond to seasonal change and agricultural management, and how these dynamics influence crop resilience. She was involved in the multi-institution MycoRhizaSoil Project, developing a high-throughput, objective qPCR protocol to quantify AMF colonisation and investigating the potential for AMF traits to predict and improve yield outcomes. Beyond field trials, she leads research into mycorrhiza-mediated protection against foliar pathogens such as Puccinia hordei in barley, aiming to translate laboratory findings into field applications. Her portfolio also includes microbial ecology in saltmarsh restoration and, more recently, a new project as primary investigator on the effects of afforestation in a community woodland.

An active contributor to the scientific community, Claire has delivered invited and conference talks at the British Ecological Society Annual Meeting, including presentations on the seasonality and management effects on AMF diversity and on mycorrhiza-induced resistance in barley. She has published in leading journals such as Environmental Microbiology and Evolutionary Applications, and her work has been recognised with awards including the White Rose BBSRC DTP Symposium poster prize. Alongside her research, Claire is committed to teaching and mentorship, having supervised undergraduate and postgraduate research projects and lectured in Molecular Microbial Ecology. She is also engaged in public outreach, developing activities to inspire the next generation of scientists.

  • 2023 - present PDRA, University of Edinburgh
  • 2023 - Lecturer in Molecular Microbial Ecology, Heriot-Watt University
  • 2022 - PhD in Biology, University of York
  • 2017 - MBiol in Biotechnology & Microbiology, University of York

Research summary

Claire Moulton-Brown’s research focuses on the ecology and function of soil microbial communities, particularly arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and how they interact with plants and pathogens to influence ecosystem health and productivity. Her work applies cutting-edge molecular and ecological tools to understand how land management, environmental change, and seasonal variation shape these communities, and how such insights can be translated into practical strategies for sustainable land use. By identifying microbial traits that enhance crop resilience, improve nutrient efficiency, and support ecological restoration, her research directly contributes to addressing global challenges such as food security (UN SDG 2), climate action (UN SDG 13), and life on land (UN SDG 15). Through collaborations with farmers, conservation groups, and policymakers, she aims to ensure that advances in soil microbial ecology deliver tangible benefits for both people and the planet.

Conference details

  • New Phytologist Editor-in-Chief Symposium (2025) – Microbes as Hidden or Prominent Players in Plant Life (2024) – Oral presentation on mycorrhiza-induced resistance in barley

  • British Ecological Society Annual Meeting (2024) – Oral presentation on seasonality and management effects on AMF diversity

  • International Congress on Mycorrhiza (ICOM) (2024)

  • British Ecological Society Annual Meeting (2023) – Oral presentation on using qPCR to reveal how regenerative agriculture shapes AMF communities

  • European Nitrogen Cycling Conference (2019) – Oral presentation on denitrifying microbial communities in arable soils

  • Microbiology Society Annual Conference – Poster presentations (2016, 2017, 2019)

  • Genetics Society Annual Summer School Workshop (2016) – Oral presentation

  • School of Biological Sciences PGR Student Symposium – Chaired Institute of Ecology & Evolution sessions (2024)

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