EDWARDS LAB

CV

My research interests include plant systematics, plant geography and population genetics. The particular group I am studying for my Ph. D. is tribe Trichocereeae in the Cactaceae. In many cacti, complex evolutionary patterns are found due to the frequent formation of hybrid swarms, vegetative propagation, and polyploidy. I am attempting to understand the evolutionary dynamics that produce and maintain variation in morphologically diverse but genetically similar taxa of Trichocereeae, using molecular phylogenetics and population genetic approaches. In January of 2009 I will be joining the Edwards Lab and will collaborate with Erika and Reto Nyffeler on resolving phylogenetic relationships in the Portulacinae (which contains Cactaceae) with the aim of answering ecological and functional questions related to the evolution of the succulent life forms in this group.

CV

I am interested in the evolution of plant form, and in pursuing these questions with an integrative approach that has phylogenetics at its core. Cacti are a great group in which to study plant morphological evolution both because there is a wide array of bizarre and varied forms in the group, and because these forms are closely linked to their ability to survive in water-limited environments. For my PhD. research, I am planning to to look at macroevolutionary patterns in the transition from leaf-based to stem-based photosynthesis in the prickly pears and their relatives (subfamily Opuntioideae).

email: mogburn at brown dot edu

I'm a senior at Brown, studying Ecosystems and Environment. I'm interested in biology at the level of the organism, and have recently started turning my focus towards plants and evolutionary biology. After graduating from Brown, I hope to do environmental work in the Peace Corps.

research interests: Hawaiian grasses, chlorophyll fluorescence (in general, any fancy field equipment)