Overview
We study genetic variation in plant populations, focusing on genes that influence traits controlling plant performance in an environmental context – a central theme throughout our research in natural and agricultural populations. Much of our work is focused on the genes that affect ecological success and evolutionary fitness in natural environments. Similarly, the interaction of crop plants with their biotic and abiotic environments is controlled by complex trait variation which can be elucidated by interdisciplinary analyses incorporating functional genomics, physiological and chemical ecology, and population and quantitative genetics. We work at several levels: genetic variation within populations, local adaptation among populations, and the evolution of species differences. Our study systems are centered on the wild relatives of Arabidopsis, as well as complex trait variation of rice in Asia and Africa.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Newman Ivey White Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biology
·
2024 - Present
Biology,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor Emeritus of Biology
·
2024 - Present
Biology,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Recent Publications
Increasing Aridity May Threaten the Maintenance of a Plant Defence Polymorphism.
Journal Article Ecology letters · January 2025 It is unclear how environmental change influences standing genetic variation in wild populations. Here, we characterised environmental conditions that protect versus erode polymorphic chemical defences in Boechera stricta (Brassicaceae), a short-lived pere ... Full text CiteSoil variation among natural habitats alters glucosinolate content in a wild perennial mustard.
Journal Article Journal of experimental botany · March 2023 Baseline levels of glucosinolates-important defensive phytochemicals in brassicaceous plants-are determined by both genotype and environment. However, the ecological causes of glucosinolate plasticity are not well characterized. Fertilization is known to a ... Full text CiteAre genetic variation and demographic performance linked?
Journal Article Evolutionary applications · November 2022 Quantifying relationships between genetic variation and population viability is important from both basic biological and applied conservation perspectives, yet few populations have been monitored with both long-term demographic and population genetics appr ... Full text CiteRecent Grants
Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Training Program
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2005 - 2021DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Genetic Effects of Plant Defense on Above- and Below-ground Ecological Interactions and Natural Selection
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2017 - 2021Genetics Training Grant
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1979 - 2020View All Grants
Education, Training & Certifications
University of Wisconsin, Madison ·
1985
Ph.D.
Earlham College ·
1978
B.A.