The genetic basis of fitness variation in natural populations

Our main efforts in the lab go towards a project with the annual grass Avena barbata to experimentally measure the genetic basis of fitness differences between individuals in nature. We want to answer questions like. "How many genes are involved in adaptation to the local environment, and are these the same genes across environments?" and " What is the evolutionary fate of hybrids between divergent populations?" We use a combination of genetic mapping and line cross analysis to find answers.
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I have come to my work on Avena from earlier interests in understanding the role of genetic variation to adaptation to heterogeneous environments

Theoretical models of adaptation to heterogeneous environments.
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Identifying targets of diversifying selection from comparisons and contrasts among genes and traits
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Surveys of molecular variation among populations of pine
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People in the Lab
We have a great group of students in the lab, at various academic levels. This list gives you an idea of what kinds of projects students have done and where some former students have gone on afterwards. .
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I am always happy to hear from interested potential Graduate or Honors students.

News: BIOL 3044 Ecological Genetics will be offered in 2007-08! read more...