Welcome

Welcome to the Systematics Lab and Herbarium of The Morton Arboretum. We are a group with diverse interests in plant biodiversity science, united by an interest in the diversification and evolution of plant lineages, investigated using the tools of molecular phylogenetics, population genetics, cytogenetics, and herbarium study. We welcome visiting researchers at the undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate level to collaborate in ongoing projects or develop new projects. Please email Andrew (the Lab PI) to discuss opportunities, or reach out to any of us if you have questions.

Lab Mission

The Plant Systematics Lab asks three fundamental questions: When and how did plant species and lineages arise? What genetic and physical traits delimit plant species and lineages? How do species’ attributes shape our world?

Rooted in systematics and specimen-based natural history, we work at the interface of species, clades, communities, and genomes. We integrate our research with mentorship across all levels of experience, with the goal of cultivating scientific identity and the habits of close observation.

Lab Vision

We envision our research group as a hub connecting diverse disciplines through systematics, and connecting and enabling the work of diverse researchers.

We envision our research as a foundation for biodiversity stewardship and appreciation of the natural world.

We aim to create an environment of informal knowledge-sharing among students, postdocs, and staff to promote best research practices and inspire excellent work across backgrounds and professional levels.

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