Department of Botany

The Botany Department is one of the largest and strongest Botany Departments in North America, offering a wide range of research and educational programs. Specializations range from the organismal to the molecular level.

25
Master's Students
(2023)
68
Doctoral Students
(2023)
19
Graduate Degrees Awarded
(2022)

Graduate Degree Programs

Research Supervisors

Name Research Interests
Adams, Keith Molecular evolution, genome evolution, and gene expression
Angert, Amy Biodiversity and Biocomplexity; biogeography; biological responses to climate change; Conservation Biology; Ecological and Ecophysiological Processes; evolutionary ecology; population biology; Biodiversity and Biocomplexity, Biogeography, Biological responses to climate change, Conservation biology, Ecological and Ecophysiological Processes, Evolutionary ecology, Population biology
Ashraf, Mohammad Arif Cell division; plant development; drug discovery
Bohlmann, Joerg plant biochemistry, forestry genomics, forest health, conifers, poplar, bark beetle, mountain pine beetle, natural products, secondary metabolites, terpenes, floral scent, grapevine, Conifer genomics Forest health genomics Mountain pine beetle, fungus, pine interactions and genomics Chemical ecology of conifer, insect interactions
Cronk, Quentin Charles Plant biology; botany; taxonomy; systematics; genomics
Davies, Jonathan Phylogenetics & Biodiversity. Development and application of phylogenetic methods in ecology and conservation biology
Fast, Naomi Genomics, single-celled organisms
Fischer, Monika Mycology; mycology; fire-adapted fungi; fungal community ecology; fungal genetics & development; fungal metabolism
Gaynor, Kaitlyn behavioral responses of animals to human presence; effects of anthropogenic disturbance on predator-prey and other species interactions; socio-ecological dynamics of conservation and coexistence
Graham, Sean Plant phylogenetics; Plant systematics; Plant evolution; Organelles; Phylogenomics; Land plants; Mycoheterotrophs; Land plants, Mycoheterotrophs, Organelles, Phylogenomics, Plant evolution, Plant phylogenetics, Plant systematics
Jetter, Reinhard Chemical sciences; Plant biology; Analytical Chemistry; Biological Chemistry; Molecular Genetics; Plant Biochemistry; Plant Ecophysiology
Keeling, Patrick John Molecular evolution and cell biology of eukaryotes
Leander, Brian Plant biology; Zoology; Comparative organismal biology; Evolutionary morphology; Evolutionary protistology; Marine biodiversity; Marine invertebrate zoology; Phylogenetic biology; Species discovery
Li, Xin Molecules in plants, plants defence against pathogen infection, plant genes
Mansfield, Shawn plant metabolism, cellulose biosynthesis, lignin biosynthesis, wood formation, wood quality, cell wall biochemistry, tree biotechnology, transgenics, Tree biotechnology
Martone, Patrick Plant biology; Protist; Plants; Physiology; Taxonomy and Systematics; Ecology and Quality of the Environment; Evolution and Phylogenesis; Biomaterials; Solid Mechanics; Fluid mechanics; biomechanics; Ecology; evolution; Intertidal Zone; Macroalgae; Phycology
Michaletz, Sean Plant physiological ecology; Plant biology; Surface processes; Natural hazards; Ecophysiology; Ecosystem ecology; climate change; macroecology; Geophysics; Scaling; Fire
Moutouama, Jacob Koundouonon
Parfrey, Laura Microbial ecology, microbial diversity, microbiome, protists
Rieseberg, Loren Bioinformatics; Genomics; Plant biology; adaptation; crops; invasive plants; plant evolutionary biology; speciation; weeds
Rosado Rey, Abel Plasma membrane repair mechanisms in plants
Salesse-Smith, Coralie food security
Samuels, Anne Lacey plant cell biology; plant cell walls; Plant cell biology, Plant cell walls
Song, Liang Plant genomics; Environmental stresses; Seed development; Gene Expression; Environmental stresses, Gene expression, Plant genomics, Seed development
Suttle, Curtis Biological Oceanography; Environmental Virology; Marine Environment; Marine Microbiology; Microbial Diversity; Phage; Viral Discovery; Viruses; Biological Oceanography, Environmental Virology, Marine Environment, Marine Microbiology, Microbial Diversity, Phage, Viral Discovery, Viruses

Stories

News

Predicting how plants will fare in the heat is not so easy

Anticipating how plants will respond to rising temperatures is critical—not just for plants, but for whole ecosystems. How organisms respond to heat is often studied at small scales—such the behavior of a single leaf or branch—and then extrapolated to predict what might happen across whole…

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The Connection Between Climate Change and the Pacific Oyster Microbiome and Mortality

Part of our April is Earth Month series Shifting ocean conditions can influence the species forming both the oyster’s external ecosystem and internal community of microorganisms.  By Sarah Anderson, PhD Although they don’t produce the shiny, precious pearls of some of their mollusk family…

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The mystery of the missing butterflies in Vancouver

Dr. Michelle Tseng, botany and zoology professor, discusses what may have happened to all the butterflies, and what we can do to help. Alex Walls Jun 25, 2024 A Cabbage White butterfly rests on a flower. Photo credit: Dr. Michelle Tseng A wet, cool spring and spraying for invasive insects may be…

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Patrick Keeling has been elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. Election to the National Academy is one of the highest honours in science.

Patrick Keeling’s research program has illuminated fundamental properties of the evolution and diversity of algae, and microbial life in general. His prolific work has covered a broad range of biodiversity and disciplines, and had major impacts on our understanding of the tree of life, horizontal…

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What you can learn from Dr. Alex Moore’s career path

Image and write-up by Nivretta Thatra As of summer 2022, Dr. Alex Moore (she/they) is an Assistant Professor co-appointed at UBC Botany and the Faculty of Forestry. We are thrilled to be working with them!  Moore’s research programme currently focuses on predator-prey interactions in mangrove…

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Advice for young scientists from Dr. Kaitlyn Gaynor

For Dr. Kaitlyn Gaynor (she/her), Assistant Professor in UBC’s Departments of Botany and Zoology, being able to do research was a key moment of transition in her journey to becoming a scientist.  “I had spent so much time in school reading other peoples’ work. When I began exploring research…

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