Dr. Gilad Gabay is a plant genetics scientist who utilizes functional genomics, genetics, and bioinformatics technology dedicated to understanding plant epistatic interactions and interactions with changing environments. His research focuses on identifying plant genetic mechanisms and their interactions with the environment under abiotic stresses, such as heat and drought. He pursued his M.Sc. studies in plant breeding and genetic resources at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Gilad received his Ph.D. degree in plant genetics and genomics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. During his postdoctoral position in the Department of Plant Science at the University of California, Davis, Gilad studied tolerance to drought stress by identifying the genetic mechanisms controlling root architecture in wheat.

He joined the BIDR in January 2024 as the Head of the Functional Genomics and Genetics of Plant Adaptation to Changing Climate Laboratory. The laboratory focuses on identifying and characterizing genes associated with adaptations to changing environments that are useful for plant breeding. The traits investigated by Gilad’s lab include genes that have a direct effect on yield, such as heat and drought tolerance. The overall goal is to identify genes regulating drought and heat tolerance in important agricultural crops such as wheat, which can provide food security to the growing global population, coupled with agricultural and environmental sustainability. To identify genes of interest, the research integrates classical genetics approaches, such as generating near-isogenic lines, with advanced functional genomics methods of gene silencing induced by CRISPR-CAS9 and gene overexpression using UBI promoters. To process and associate large genotypic data and plant performances under different environments, the lab uses and develops modern bioinformatics tools.