Toluwase joined the Root-Soil-Microbial Interactions group as a doctoral student, to work with Dr. Leon Kochian and Dr. Brian Ham to study mechanisms of long-distance mineral nutrient signaling in plants.

He previously completed a M.Sc in crop protection from the University of Göttingen, Germany. As an affiliate research scholar at the International Rice Research Institute, Toluwase studied the mechanisms by which an avirulence gene in the rice blast pathogen gained virulence over a known resistance gene in rice. Subsequently after his M.Sc. he joined Armin Djamei group at the Gregor Mendel Institute, Vienna on a project involving the functional characterization of effectors (pathogen secreted molecules) in Ustilago maydis. Prior joining GIFS, he studied plant epigentic with Prof Sally Mackenzie at Penn State University, USA.

At GIFS, Toluwase is using functional genomics, physiological and molecular biology approaches to explore the role(s) that long distance signals play in the integration of root and shoot growth, under optimal and mineral deficiency conditions.