I am a classically trained botanist, grounded in field and museum work, and I am a modern evolutionary systems biologist, employing the latest technologies to address problems in our understanding of plant diversity. At the University of Missouri,I have built a nationally and internationally recognized research program focused on the impact of hybridization and polyploidy on evolution and heterosis. The questions addressed by my lab range from how ancient whole genome duplications relate to macroevolution and patterns of diversification to the manner in which recent allopolyploidy results in spectacular changes in genotype, gene expression and phenotype. My research focuses on the phylogenomics of two flowering plant orders, the Asparagales (asparagus, onion, aloes, iris, orchids, and relatives) and Brassicales (mustards, capers, papaya and relatives). The research tools that my lab has expertise in are phylogenomics, molecular cytogenetics, transcriptomics, and most recently, systems biology. I also have interests in the history and philosophy of biology and science education (e.g., Tree thinking expertise).
