Growing up on a farm in rural Ontario, Brian has spent his life immersed in plants. He began his work in research as a field technician with Bayer CropScience while completing a bachelor’s in plant biology at the University of Guelph. While working in vegetable variety development in Leamington, Ontario, he saw the emergence of supplemental lighting and the need for proper experimentation to guide growers into making the best decisions for crop production. Brian shifted his focus to horticultural lighting and completed his master’s degree at Michigan State University where he compared LED lighting with HPS lamps for greenhouse ornamental production. He currently manages the internal cannabis research program at Fluence executed at the Fluence Cannabis Science Center, located in Austin, Texas.
Brian continues to help lead the way in understanding and applying plant growth and developmental responses to light spectrum and intensity. He specializes in conducting research and grower experiments focusing on increased cannabis yield and quality by maximizing photosynthesis and manipulating secondary metabolite production. Brian is also investigating how light works in concert with other inputs to maximize production efficiency. He holds two patents that have been commercialized into products that reduce energy input while maintaining consistent cannabis yield and quality.
Areas of Expertise
- Cannabis cultivation lighting
- Practical horticultural research
- Light spectrum optimization
- Historical lighting agricultural research
Credentials
- M.Sc., Horticulture — Michigan State University, 2016
- B.Sc., Plant Biology — University of Guelph, 2010
Experience
- Research Project Manager, Fluence. 2020-present
- Horticultural Lighting Specialist, Lumigrow. 2017-2019
- Graduate Research Assistant, Michigan State University, 2014-2016
- Greenhouse Seeds Technical Specialist, Plant Products. 2011-2013
Notable Work
Projects and inventions:
- Patent co-inventor “Bi-directional delivery of photons for avoiding photobleaching in cannabis”
- Commercialized as “Red Sandwich” concept
- Patent co-inventor “Systems and method for preventing photobleaching in plants grown under artificial lighting”
- Commercialized as “T48” lighting platform
Selected peer-reviewed publications:
- Spectral effects of supplemental greenhouse radiation on growth and flowering of annual bedding plants and vegetable transplants. BR Poel, ES Runkle (2017). HortScience 52 (9), 1221-1228
- Seedling growth is similar under supplemental greenhouse lighting from high-pressure sodium lamps or light-emitting diodes. BR Poel, ES Runkle (2017). HortScience 52 (3), 388-394
- Evaluating light-emitting diodes for use in supplemental greenhouse lighting for seedling plug production. BR Poel, E Runkle (2015). Hortscience 50 (9), S252-S252
- Evaluation of High and Low Red-content Lighting During the Vegetative Phase of Cannabis Production. BR Poel, D Hawley (2025) Hortscience 60 (7)
- Defining Red Photon Thresholds for Avoiding Photobleaching in Cannabis. BR Poel (2023) ASHS Annual Conference
