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Johanna Schmitt

Stephen T. Olney Professor of Natural History, Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies:
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Environmental Change Initiative (Director)
Phone: +1 401 863 3435
Phone 2: +1 401 863 2897
Johanna_Schmitt@Brown.EDU

My lab is interested in the adaptive evolution of developmental, physiological, and life history traits in natural plant populations. We use quantitative genetics, QTL mapping, and association studies of candidate loci to examine the genetic basis of natural variation in ecologically important traits in Arabidopsis thaliana. We also measure natural selection on these traits and the loci underlying them in the field by experimentally manipulating environments, phenotypes, and genotypes.

Biography

Johanna Schmitt's research focus is adaptive evolution of developmental, physiological, and life history traits in natural plant populations. Her lab uses quantitative genetics, QTL mapping, and association studies of candidate loci to examine the genetic basis of natural variation in ecologically important traits. By experimentally manipulating environments, phenotypes, and genotypes in the field, they measure natural selection on these traits and the loci underlying them. Another major research objective is to elucidate the genetic and ecological mechanisms of adaptation to seasonal and geographic variation in climate.

Schmitt is the past president of the Society for the Study of Evolution, past president of the American Society of Naturalists, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, recipient of a Humboldt Research Award, and recently elected fellow of the National Academy of Sciences.

Interests

My lab is interested in the adaptive evolution of developmental, physiological, and life history traits in natural plant populations. We use quantitative genetics, QTL mapping, and association studies of candidate loci to examine the genetic basis of natural variation in ecologically important traits. We also measure natural selection on these traits and the loci underlying them in the field by experimentally manipulating environments, phenotypes, and genotypes. Recently we have explored the evolution of adaptive plasticity using phytochrome-mediated "shade avoidance" responses to crowding and vegetation shade as a model system. Another major research objective is to elucidate the genetic and ecological mechanisms of adaptation to seasonal and geographic variation in climate.

Degrees

Ph. D., Stanford University

Awards

NSF Faculty Award for Women in Science and Engineering (1991-1996)
NSF Midcareer Fellowship in Environmental Biology (1992-1993)
American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow (2003)
Alexander von Humboldt Research Award (2007)
National Academy of Sciences (2008)

Affiliations

American Society of Naturalists
Society for the Study of Evolution
European Society of Evolutionary Biology
Botanical Society of America
Ecological Society of America
British Ecological Society
Society for Conservation Biology
American Society of Plant Biologists
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Rhode Island Natural History Survey
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory Corporation
Sigma Xi

Funded Research

Current grants:

2006 ADVANCE: Investing in leadership potential and faculty opportunities at Brown University (PI: P. O'Neil, co PIs J. Schmitt, B. Allen, M. Fennell, T. Palmore ($3,632,685,)
2004 "FIBR: Molecular evolutionary ecology of developmental signaling pathways in complex environments, National Science Foundation ($4,999,836 , 5 years, PI J. Schmitt, co PIs Michael Purugganan, NYU, Richard Amasino, U. Wisconsin, and Stephan Welch, KSU).
2003 "Function-valued traits in natural populations: variation, selection, and evolution", National Science Foundation (PIs Patrick Carter and Richard Gomulkiewicz, WSU, $208,855 subcontract to Brown University , 4 years).

Completed grants:

1977 "The effect of altitude on pollinator energetics and the coevolution of flowering plants." National Science Foundation Grant for Improvement of Doctoral Dissertation Research in the Field Sciences ($2400, 2 years)
1984 "Intraspecific competition and the evolution of breeding systems in Impatiens capensis." National Science Foundation ($83,000, 2 years)
1986 "Intraspecific competition and the evolution of breeding systems in Impatiens capensis." National Science Foundation ($151,000, 3 years)
1989 "Ecological consequences of environmental maternal effects in Plantago lanceolata." National Science Foundation (with Renata Wulff; $255,310, 3 years; 2 REU Supplements, 1991, 1992)
1991 "Potential for persistence of engineered genes escaped from canola, USDA ($12,400, 1 year).
"Development and significance of population sex ratio bias in Silene latifolia", NSF Dissertation Improvement Grant for Colin Purrington ($4,000, 2 years)
1992 "Risk of persistence and establishment of engineered genes escaped from canola", Calgene, Inc. ($13,587)

"The evolutionary impact of natural selection, quantitative genetic variation, and gene flow in a salt marsh perennial, Limonium carolinianum", with David Rand, NSF Dissertation grant for Matthew Hamilton, ($8000, 3 years).
1993 "Response to crowding and vegetation shade in Impatiens capensis: genetic variation and fitness consequences", National Science Foundation (with Renata Wulff, $281,000, 40 months; REU Supplements, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997).
1995 "Ecological genetics of response to light in Arabidopsis thaliana (Brassicaceae)", National Science Foundation (collaborative research with Massimo Pigliucci, $92,500, 3 years)
1997 "Response to crowding and vegetation shade in Impatiens capensis: genetic variation and fitness consequences", National Science Foundation ($90,000, 1 year; REU Supplement 1998).
1998 "Response to crowding and vegetation shade in Impatiens capensis: genetic variation and fitness consequences", National Science Foundation ($315,000, 3 years; REU supplements 1999, 2000, 2001).
2000 "Collaborative research: QTL and field selection studies of parental effects on seasonal dormancy in Arabidopsis thaliana ", National Science Foundation ($228, 404, with Lisa Dorn and Kathleen Donohue , 3 years).
1999 "Molecular evolutionary ecology of developmental plasticity in Arabidopsis thaliana", National Science Foundation (IRCEB, co-PI with Michael Purugganan and Trudy Mackay, NCSU, $1,798,958, including $716,467 subcontract to Brown University, 5 years)
2002 "ABR: Response to crowding and vegetation shade in Impatiens capensis: genetic basis and fitness consequences", National Science Foundation ($335,625, 3 years, REU supplements 2002, 2003, 2004).

Web Links

Curriculum Vitae

Download Johanna Schmitt's Curriculum Vitae in PDF Format