Welcome
Our laboratory studies the genetic basis of complex or quantitative trait variation as it applies to crop improvement. Variation in quantitative traits is generally conditioned by multiple genes with subtle effects that are influenced by the environment, requiring the application of contemporary techniques in experimental design and statistical methodology to dissect the underlying genetics. One of our major research efforts is to characterize functional genetic variation in plant resistance to disease development. On the flip-side, we are embarking on studying natural variation in pathogen aggressiveness and virulence. Another major research pursuit of ours is to understand the genetic basis of response to artificial selection exerted in plant breeding programs; we are developing methods to characterize 'responsive' variation.
Our laboratory provides a setting for students and professionals to explore biological questions relevant to plant improvement while developing fundamental skills in the fields of genetics, breeding, statistics, bioinformatics and molecular biology through a combination of field, laboratory and computational experimentation.
