Fields of Research

Plant physiology
Biological adaptation
Plant cell and molecular biology
Biological physics
Population ecology
Developmental genetics (incl. sex determination)
Conservation and biodiversity
Sequence analysis
Gene mapping
Plant biochemistry

Research Objectives

Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences
Grain legumes
Climate change adaptation measures (excl. ecosystem)
Hardwood plantations
Ornamentals, natives, flowers and nursery plants
Expanding knowledge in the environmental sciences
Environmentally sustainable plant production
Native forests
Climate adaptive plants

Career Best Publications

Abscisic acid controlled sex before transpiration in vascular plants; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
How to grow a tree: plant voltage-dependent cation channels in the spotlight of evolution; Trends in Plant Science
Pea VEGETATIVE2 is an FD homolog that is essential for flowering and compound inflorescence development; Plant Cell
Stomatal responses to vapour pressure deficit are regulated by high speed gene expression in angiosperms; Plant, Cell and Environment
The Pea GIGAS Gene Is a FLOWERING LOCUS T Homolog Necessary for Graft-Transmissible Specification of Flowering but Not for Responsiveness to Photoperiod; The Plant Cell
VEGETATIVE1 is essential for development of the compound inflorescence in pea; Nature Communications

Research Publications

Abscisic acid (ABA) and key proteins in its perception and signaling pathways are ancient, but their roles have changed through time; Plant Signaling and Behavior
Abscisic acid controlled sex before transpiration in vascular plants; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Acquiring control: the evolution of stomatal signalling pathways; Trends in Plant Science
Continental-scale distribution and diversity of Ceratobasidium orchid mycorrhizal fungi in Australia ; Annals of Botany
From reproduction to production, stomata are the master regulators; The Plant Journal
How to grow a tree: plant voltage-dependent cation channels in the spotlight of evolution; Trends in Plant Science
Identification of LATE BLOOMER2 as a CYCLING DOF FACTOR homolog reveals conserved and divergent features of the flowering response to photoperiod in pea; Plant Cell
Identification of the short vegetative phase (SVP)-like MADS-box genes in pea (Pisum sativum L.); Plant Gene
Independent genetic control of drought resistance, recovery, and growth of Eucalyptus globulus seedlings; Plant, Cell and Environment
Isolation and forward genetic analysis of developmental genes in pea; Legume Genomics
Leaves, not roots or floral tissue, are the main site of rapid, external pressure-induced ABA biosynthesis in angiosperms; Journal of Experimental Botany
Linking auxin with photosynthetic rate via leaf venation; Plant Physiology
Mendel: from genes to genome; Plant physiology
Molecular characterization of a mutation affecting abscisic acid biosynthesis and consequently stomatal responses to humidity in an agriculturally important species; AoB Plants
On the origins of osmotically driven stomatal movements; New Phytologist
Pea VEGETATIVE2 is an FD homolog that is essential for flowering and compound inflorescence development; Plant Cell
Specific mycorrhizal associations involving the same fungal taxa in common and threatened Caladenia (Orchidaceae): implications for conservation; Annals of botany
Stomata: the holey grail of plant evolution; American Journal of Botany
Stomatal responses to vapour pressure deficit are regulated by high speed gene expression in angiosperms; Plant, Cell and Environment
Surviving a dry future: abscisic acid (ABA)-mediated plant mechanisms for conserving water under low humidity; Plants
The evolving role of abscisic acid in cell function and plant development over geological time; Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology
The genetic architecture of flowering time changes in pea from wild to crop; Journal of Experimental Botany
The Pea GIGAS Gene Is a FLOWERING LOCUS T Homolog Necessary for Graft-Transmissible Specification of Flowering but Not for Responsiveness to Photoperiod; The Plant Cell
The pea photoperiod response gene STERILE NODES is an ortholog of LUX ARRHYTHMO1[W][OPEN]; Plant Physiology
Up-regulation of NCED3 and ABA biosynthesis occur within minutes of a decrease in leaf turgor but AHK1 is not required; Journal of Experimental Botany
Update on the genetic control of flowering in garden pea; Journal of Experimental Botany
VEGETATIVE1 is essential for development of the compound inflorescence in pea; Nature Communications
What are the evolutionary origins of stomatal responses to abscisic acid in land plants?; Journal of Integrative Plant Biology

Research Projects

How plants open up: revealing the evolution of stomatal opening mechanisms; Australian Research Council (ARC)
The quick and the dead: identifying mechanisms for plant drought survival; Australian Research Council (ARC)

Research Candidate Supervision