Research group
Research overview
Our research is both comparative and integrative, combining systematics, morphology, development, molecular genetics, and physiology. The major theme that unites these different approaches is phylogeny, which we use to reconstruct the evolutionary history of organisms and molecules to provide a comparative framework for our work.
School of Biological Sciences theme affiliations
Teaching
On the Natural Sciences Tripos, I mainly teach on the first year course Evolution and Behaviour where I lecture of plant domestication, run a practical on Plant Polyploidy and co-lead the Field Course. I teach some practicals on plant diversity and morphology as part of the second year course Plant and Microbial Sciences. Additionally, I give a set of six lectures as part of the third year Part II module Evolution and Ecosystem Dynamics, lecturing on phylogenetics and homology.
Previous positions
2020-present Associate Professor, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge
2015-present Curator, Botanic Garden, University of Cambridge
2015-2020 Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge
2014-2018 NERCouncil Independent Research Fellow, University of Cambridge
2012-2014 Isaac Newton Trust Research Fellow
2009-2012 Marie Curie Research Fellow, University of Cambridge
Qualifications
2003-2009 PhD Evolutionary Biology, University of Florida
1998-2002 BSc Plant Sciences, University of Edinburgh
Websites
School of Biological Sciences staff profile
Key publications
All publications
Organisations
- Trustee of The Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire
- Trustee for Thrive Charity (Social and Therapeutic Horticulture)
Awards and fellowships
- Bye-Fellowship, Girton College, University of Cambridge, UK
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute Award, University of Florida, USA
- Karling Graduate Research Award, Botanical Society of America, USA
- Aschoff Dissertation Fellowship Award, University of Florida, USA
- Maynard Mosely Award, Plant Biology Congress, Chicago, USA
- Graduate Alumni Fellowship, University of Florida, USA
- Lang Scholarship, University of Edinburgh, UK
- Henry Anderson Award, University of Edinburgh, UK
Committees
- Graduate Education Committee
- Cambridge University Botanic Garden Syndicate
Public engagement
I regularly give public lecture on the history of botanic gardens, the global network of botanic gardens, and the current and ongoing activities in the Cambridge University Botanic Garden.
