Kirsten Allen

Science Associate

Kirsten Allen is a Science Associate at Schmidt Sciences. In her role, she supports the Virtual Institute on Feedstocks of the Future (VIFF).

She completed her doctoral training through the New Use Agriculture and Natural Plant Products Program, where she investigated stress physiological approaches to optimize the yield of bioactive metabolites in the catnip plant. She was supported by the Rutgers University Pipeline – Initiative for Maximizing Student Development Fellowship, the Robert White-Stevens Graduate Fellowship, and the QUAD Fellowship. While in graduate school, Kirsten also gained professional experience working in the flavor and fragrance industry. Prior to joining Schmidt Sciences, she gained postdoctoral training through the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute, where she contributed to the food systems working group at the Center on Sustainability and Governance in the Anthropocene (C-SAGA). At C-SAGA, she conducted research at the intersection of food system governance and planetary health to determine systems approaches for strengthening island food systems under a changing climate. She also contributed to a research project focused on developing sustainable food systems throughout the Federated States of Micronesia.

Kirsten received her Ph.D. in Plant Biology with a concentration in Natural Products and Human Health from Rutgers University-New Brunswick. She completed her undergraduate studies at The University of Georgia where she received her B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences along with a minor in Plant Biology and a Certificate in International Agriculture.