Alorah Filak started at Holden as a research intern in 2024 where her interest in research began. She has a strong passion for plants and the environment. As part of David Burke’s lab, her work focuses on Eastern Hemlock, Tsuga canadensis, and finding resistance to hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA). HWA was introduced to North America in the early 1920s and has continued to spread, causing damage to our native hemlock species. Her goal is to help advance techniques for propagation and reproduction of hemlock trees, developing individuals resistant to HWA.