Adriana Morrell, PhD

Faculty
Phone
403-320-3202 ext. 5328
Email
[email protected]
Academic Centre
Technology, Environment and Design
Programs
Agriculture Sciences
Environmental Assessment and Restoration
Summary
Dr. Morell is an instructor and researcher at Lethbridge College with expertise in Soil Science, Plant Physiology, Mycology, Microbial Ecology, and Agronomy. She is the founder and scientific lead of the Mycology Research Laboratory at Lethbridge College. Her mycology research expands to multiple areas, from improving sustainability in mushroom production using different types of food waste and agro-waste, to improving soil health and ecosystem productivity through management of soil fungal communities in both natural and agricultural systems. She collaborates closely with industry partners to ensure the practical application of research findings and facilitates the dissemination of information to stakeholders through reports, publications, presentations and online platforms.
Expertise
Science and technology
Soil
Environment
Agronomy
Sustainable agriculture
Plant physiology
Mycology
Microbiology
Experimental Design
Database Management
Molecular biology

Professional Experience

Teaching Experience

Full-time instructor at Lethbridge College since 2015. Developed and taught several courses in the Agriculture Sciences program, including Plant Physiology, Soil Fertility, Field Crops, Special Crops, Pasture and Forage Production, Sustainable Agriculture and Precision Agriculture.

Completed the Instructor Certification Program (ICP) at Lethbridge College in 2019.

Full-time instructor (Plant Physiology) at the University of Havana, Cuba (2006-10).

Research

2010-15: Research Affiliate, Semiarid Prairie Research Center (SPARC)/ Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)

2006-10: Research Affiliate, Plant Physiology Lab, University of Havana, Cuba

2008-10: Research collaborator, Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Laboratory, Institute of Ecology and Systematic, Cuba

2004-06: Research collaborator, Laboratory of Genetically Modified Fish, Agriculture Division, Center of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Cuba.

Education

Academic Credentials

Full-time certified instructor, Lethbridge College. ICP completed in 2019 at Lethbridge College

Ph.D. Soil Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, SK, Canada (2015)

M.Sc. Plant Physiology, University of Havana, Cuba (2009)

B.Sc. Biological Sciences, University of Havana, Cuba (2006)

Publications

Morrell, A. 2024. Unlocking the Secrets to Cultivating Blue Oyster Mushrooms Using Farm and Food Waste. Mushroom World Magazine. 35 (1): 16-22.

Morrell (neé Navarro Borrell), A, Shi Y, Gan Y, Bainard LD, Germida J, Hamel C. 2017. Fungal diversity associated with pulses and its influence on the subsequent wheat crop in the Canadian prairies. Plant & Soil. pp 1- 19. doi:10.1007/s11104-016-3075-y

Bainard LD, Morrell (neé Navarro Borrell), A, Hamel C, Braun K, Hanson K, Gan Y. 2017. Increasing the frequency of pulses in crop rotations reduces soil fungal diversity and increases the proportion of fungal pathotrophs in a semiarid agroecosystem. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 240: 206–214.

Yang C, Ellouze W, Morrell (neé Navarro Borrell), A, Esmaeili-Taheri A, Klabi R, Dai M, Kabir6 Z, Hamel C. 2014. Book chapter: Management of the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in sustainable crop production published by Springer, Z.M. Solaiman et al. (eds.), Mycorrhizal Fungi: Use in Sustainable Agriculture and Land Restoration, Soil Biology 41: 89-118, DOI 10.1007/978-3-662-45370-4_7.

Ellouze W, Esmaeili-Taheri A, Bainard LD, Yang C, Bazghaleh N, Morrell (neé Navarro Borrell), A, Hanson K,  Hamel C. 2014. Soil fungal resources in annual cropping systems and their potential for management. BioMed Research International. Volume 2014, Article ID 531824, pages 1-15.  Note: First seven authors made an equal contribution to the elaboration of the manuscript.

Morrell (neé Navarro Borrell), A, Ortega P, Rodés R, Ortega D. 2008. Temperature stress causes necrosis in black tobacco; quantification by image analysis. Revista Colombiana de Biotecnología. 10: 63-72.

Conference Presentations

For a complete list of publications and presentations visit Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=RHohfDkAAAAJ&hl=en