Debjani Sihi

Bio

Dr. Debjani Sihi is a biogeochemist and soil/environmental scientist whose interdisciplinary research focuses on significant challenges at the intersection of soil carbon and nutrients, climate change, and soil and environmental health. As a member of the CALS Applied AI cluster and the NC Plant Sciences Initiative, she is working to develop scalable, data-driven solutions that enhance our understanding of both natural (forests and wetlands) and managed (agriculture) ecosystems.

Dr. Sihi embraces the importance of the One Health approach, which emphasizes the interconnected health of people, animals, plants, and ecosystems. Her publications on emerging contaminants, such as PFAS and heavy metals, highlight her commitment to addressing the soil-food-climate-health nexus. They emphasize how degraded soils and polluted water sources can act as pathways for harmful substances.

Additionally, she is interested in examining the link between soil nutrient deficiencies and related health outcomes caused by nutrient-deficient diets in changing climate conditions. Through collaborations with public health experts, Dr. Sihi aims to develop predictive models and create harmonized datasets that inform sustainable land management and environmental/health policies.