Skip to main content

Lucia Carol Strader

Professor of Biology
Biology
124 Science Drive, 3332 French Family Science Center, Durham, NC 27708

Overview


Normal plant morphogenesis and environmental responses require integrating multiple signals to modulate auxin responsiveness, biosynthesis, transport, and storage forms.  Auxin is a critical plant hormone, controlling both cell division and cell expansion and thereby orchestrating many developmental events and environmental responses.  Our research focuses on a molecular understanding of auxin signaling, auxin homeostasis, and auxin crosstalk with other hormones.  Understanding these molecular details will yield insight into strategies used by plants to alter growth in response to various environmental factors.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Professor of Biology · 2023 - Present Biology, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Associate Professor of Cell Biology · 2022 - Present Cell Biology, Basic Science Departments

In the News


Published April 15, 2024
Today’s Faculty Reflect on a Century of Scholars
Published April 1, 2024
Research That Leaves No Farmer Behind
Published September 20, 2023
What Plants Can Tell Us About Climate Change

View All News

Recent Publications


Core biological principles and tools stemming from basic Arabidopsis research.

Journal Article The Plant cell · June 2025 The model plant Arabidopsis thaliana has been a cornerstone of research in plant biology, contributing transformative insights into fundamental biological processes across eukaryotes. In this vignette, we explore the role of Arabidopsis in elucidating immu ... Full text Cite

In defense of funding foundational plant science.

Journal Article The Plant cell · May 2025 Plants are essential for life as we know it on Earth. They oxygenate the atmosphere, regulate the climate, and comprise much of the primary producers underpinning complex food systems. In the 1980s, a multinational group of plant scientists chose the small ... Full text Cite
View All Publications

Recent Grants


NSF Engines Type -1: Climate-Resilient Opportunities for Plant Systems (CROPS) Innovation Engine

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University · 2024 - 2026

Cell and Molecular Biology Training Program

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institute of General Medical Sciences · 2021 - 2026

Collaborative Research: PlantSynBio: Identification and Design of Transcriptional Activation Domains Across Plant Species

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2021 - 2026

View All Grants

Education, Training & Certifications


Washington State University · 2004 Ph.D.

External Links


Strader Lab Website