For my current research, I am working on what I term “a prickly puzzle” – the evolution, systematics, and biogeography of thistles (Cirsium) in North America. Thistles belong to the aster family (Compositae), the largest family of flowering plants in the world. Thistles consist of approximately 400 species worldwide and are one of the most challenging groups taxonomically in North America. Additionally, very little systematic work has been completed for the group. Thistles also provide a fantastic system to study the drivers of diversification and speciation within the aster family because they are an example of a recently radiating group in North America, most species are restricted to specific ecological niches, and it is most diverse genus of one of the largest aster subfamilies in North America. This ongoing research primarily aims to:
As the Head Curator of Natural History Collections and Associate Director of Biodiversity Research at Denver Botanic Gardens, I continue to conduct biodiversity research on the flora of Colorado by:
- Clarify phylogenetic and taxonomic relationships within the thistles using traditional as well as cutting-edge, next-generation sequencing technology.
- Quantify the effects of abiotic and biotic factors influencing diversification of the thistles by incorporating geology, habitat, and trait evolution into diversification models.
- Investigate the modes and patterns of speciation on high elevation mountain tops by completing a phylogeographic history an alpine thistle species.
As the Head Curator of Natural History Collections and Associate Director of Biodiversity Research at Denver Botanic Gardens, I continue to conduct biodiversity research on the flora of Colorado by:
- Partnering with local agencies to conduct floristic inventories and provide identifications for unknown plant species.
- Mentoring graduate students engaged in floristic studies.
- Collaborating with researchers to describe new plant species.
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