I am a plant developmental biologist.  Currently, I am a National Plant Genome Initiative NSF Postdoctoral Fellow in the Willis’ lab at Duke University (Willis lab link).  I recently received my PhD from Harvard University (Dept. of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology) where I worked with Elena Kramer on Aquilegia (Kramer Lab link).  

My research is primarily focused on understanding the developmental basis of evolutionarily relevant plant shape diversity and mechanisms of plant shape change.  I also have significant research projects in genomics.

My plant shape diversity research spans the range from population to species level diversity.  Monkeyflower (Mimulus) and columbine (Aquilegia) are my two primary models for addressing questions related to the evolution and development of shape diversity (see pictures to right).  

On another scale, I am interested in how plants change shape through time. For example, how does an initially straight tendril coil into a tight helix over the course of its lifetime (see video below)?

Please see my Research page or Plant Motion page for more information.

Feel free to contact me if you are interested in learning more! I am always happy to chat.

© Joshua Puzey

Timelapse movie of a Cucumber tendril searching for support

Columbine (Aquilegia) flower

Monkeyflower (Mimulus)