Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University
My research program focuses on the genetic and ecological processes enabling plant populations to cope with global change. I am particularly interested in the evolutionary forces shaping genetic and phenotypic variability in plant populations. Two evolutionary forces set the foundations of my research program, gene flow, and local adaptation to biotic interactions. Gene flow as an evolutionary force that promotes genetic variability in plants. Local adaptation to biotic factors as a driver of evolutionary change in plant populations. I approach my questions using the framework of molecular ecology. Within this field, I work at the interface of population genetics, plant ecology, and evolutionary ecology. In my research, I use a multidisciplinary approach combining genetic analysis, field experimentation, GIS tools, and spatially explicit analysis.