Brzostek’s research seeks to understand how interactions between plants and soil microbes influence carbon and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, and how these interactions will impact ecosystem responses to global change. To do this, Brzostek integrates observations in the field with results from experiments to improve predictive models at the plot and global scale. Prior to his position at West Virginia University, Brzostek was a post-doctoral fellow at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Brzostek received a Ph.D. in Biology and a B.A. in Earth Science from Boston University.