We are biologists who seek to understand and explain biodiversity in an ever-changing world. Most of our projects dissect the causes and consequences of evolution, and plants are typical study systems (see the images above for exemplary species). We spend our time challenging hypotheses with simple models, analyses of DNA sequence variation, studies in natural populations, and experimental evolution.

We are particularly interested in how a population’s context influences its genetic variability and evolution. To make progress toward this goal, current work centers on these themes: 1) the evolution of mating systems, which directly impact the transmission of genetic material between parents and offspring; 2) the causes and consequences of variation in the number of gene copies (i.e. ploidy) carried by a plant; and 3) organismal responses to environmental change.

To prospective students: