Principle Investigator
Jill Preston
(she/her)
[email protected]
BSc Edinburgh Napier University, UK
MSc Nottingham University, UK
PhD University of Missouri - St. Louis, USA
Originally hailing from Edinburgh, Scotland, I moved across the Atlantic to do my PhD, and never left. When I'm not teaching, mentoring, or researching, you'll probably find me working out or getting into a good tale via podcast, book, or streaming. One thing that I love about my professional is that it allows me to connect with collaborators from all over the world and to travel to diverse locations.
(she/her)
[email protected]
BSc Edinburgh Napier University, UK
MSc Nottingham University, UK
PhD University of Missouri - St. Louis, USA
Originally hailing from Edinburgh, Scotland, I moved across the Atlantic to do my PhD, and never left. When I'm not teaching, mentoring, or researching, you'll probably find me working out or getting into a good tale via podcast, book, or streaming. One thing that I love about my professional is that it allows me to connect with collaborators from all over the world and to travel to diverse locations.
Current Postdoctoral Researcher
Brittany (Brit) Verrico
(she/her)
[email protected]
BA Biology and German, Washington & Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, USA
PhD University of Vermont, Vermont, USA
I am interested in understanding the genetic basis of climate adaptation in plants. I approached this interest from a population genomic perspective using red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) as a focal species with Stephen Keller during my PhD and first PostDoc position. During my time in the Preston Lab, I will switch gears to investigate the evolutionary history of and genetic mechanisms underlying grass (Poaceae) flowering time in response to high temperatures. I am an avid reader, enjoy art, movies, and cooking, and hiking the New England mountains. I also get excited over little things, like continuing my NYT crossword streak and having breakfast for dinner.
(she/her)
[email protected]
BA Biology and German, Washington & Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, USA
PhD University of Vermont, Vermont, USA
I am interested in understanding the genetic basis of climate adaptation in plants. I approached this interest from a population genomic perspective using red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) as a focal species with Stephen Keller during my PhD and first PostDoc position. During my time in the Preston Lab, I will switch gears to investigate the evolutionary history of and genetic mechanisms underlying grass (Poaceae) flowering time in response to high temperatures. I am an avid reader, enjoy art, movies, and cooking, and hiking the New England mountains. I also get excited over little things, like continuing my NYT crossword streak and having breakfast for dinner.
Current Graduate Students
Masoumeh (Massi) Khodaverdi
[email protected]
BSc in Botany, Arak University, Iran
MPS in Plant Science & Biotechnology, SUNY-ESF
MSc in Plant Systematics, University of Tabriz
I am investigating the role of climate variation in shaping sensitivity to vernalization and thermal performance in two grass genera, Melica and Brachypodium.
[email protected]
BSc in Botany, Arak University, Iran
MPS in Plant Science & Biotechnology, SUNY-ESF
MSc in Plant Systematics, University of Tabriz
I am investigating the role of climate variation in shaping sensitivity to vernalization and thermal performance in two grass genera, Melica and Brachypodium.
Hannah Shafer
[email protected]
BA in Biology, Oberlin College
[email protected]
BA in Biology, Oberlin College
- I am a second-year graduate student, and my research is focused on the genetic pathways related to vernalization and de-vernalization in grasses, and how these pathways differ between annual and perennial species. I hope to continue this line of work for my thesis, with an emphasis on how this research can help us understand agricultural and climate change questions. Outside of the lab, I enjoy hiking, kayaking, baking, gardening, and knitting.
Mark Mullinger
[email protected]
BS in Biology, Mercyhurst University
MSc in Plant Taxonomy, University of Edinburgh & RBGE
My current research interests include systematics of grasses and the evolution and development of geophytic (belowground) structures in plants, especially bulbs, corms, and rhizomes. In the Preston Lab I’m working on a phylogeny of the grass genus Melica (Poaceae: Pooideae) to facilitate study of trait evolution in temperate grasses.
[email protected]
BS in Biology, Mercyhurst University
MSc in Plant Taxonomy, University of Edinburgh & RBGE
My current research interests include systematics of grasses and the evolution and development of geophytic (belowground) structures in plants, especially bulbs, corms, and rhizomes. In the Preston Lab I’m working on a phylogeny of the grass genus Melica (Poaceae: Pooideae) to facilitate study of trait evolution in temperate grasses.
Ashley Lantigua
[email protected] BA in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Boston University I am interested in understanding the nature of potential tradeoffs between growth and abiotic stress resilience. To study these potential tradeoffs, I use a number of molecular genetic, physiological, and bioinformatic tools analyzed in a comparative framework, specifically in the model temperate grass Brachypodium distachyon. |
Rotation Students
Current Undergraduate Students
Emma Landenberger
[email protected]
Junior Undergraduate in Plant Biology, UVM
In the Preston Lab, I am looking at the protein GRF9 in Arabidopsis thaliana, a protein thought to be involved with growth, flowering time, and stress tolerance. We are trying to understand if the function is conserved with its grass orthologue GF14h. I plan to use this research as the epicenter of my undergraduate honors thesis. Outside of the lab, you can find me exploring the great outdoors or reading a good book.
[email protected]
Junior Undergraduate in Plant Biology, UVM
In the Preston Lab, I am looking at the protein GRF9 in Arabidopsis thaliana, a protein thought to be involved with growth, flowering time, and stress tolerance. We are trying to understand if the function is conserved with its grass orthologue GF14h. I plan to use this research as the epicenter of my undergraduate honors thesis. Outside of the lab, you can find me exploring the great outdoors or reading a good book.
Long-term collaborator
Siri Fjellheim
Norwegian University of Life Sciences
[email protected]
Jill and Siri have been collaborating on various Pooideae projects for almost 10 years. We frequently serve as co-advisor or thesis committee members for each other's students and try to arrange regular writing retreats in fun international locations. So far we've done them in Vermont, Norway, New York City, Edinburgh, and Iceland. Who knows where we'll end up next.
Norwegian University of Life Sciences
[email protected]
Jill and Siri have been collaborating on various Pooideae projects for almost 10 years. We frequently serve as co-advisor or thesis committee members for each other's students and try to arrange regular writing retreats in fun international locations. So far we've done them in Vermont, Norway, New York City, Edinburgh, and Iceland. Who knows where we'll end up next.
Past Lab Members
Kyle Amerantes (undergraduate researcher)
Noah Beckage (undergraduate researcher)
Sparsh Bhardwaj (South Burlington High student)
Bertrand Black (rotation student)
Max Buchholz (undergraduate researcher)
Sanhita Chakraborty (rotation student)
Paul Cronin (graduate student)
Aayudh Das (graduate student)
Natalie Dedon (undergraduate researcher)
Alex Doty (undergraduate researcher)
Dan Enders (undergraduate researcher)
Siri Fjellheim (visiting scientist)
Eliszabeth Graves (undergraduate researcher)
David Green (rotation student)
Jordan Harris (rotation student)
Lena Heinrich (undergraduate researcher)
Suryatapa Jha (rotation student)
Stacy Jorgensen (research technician)
Jamie Kostyun (postdoctoral researcher)
Kattia Palacio-Lopez (rotation student)
Sarah Powell (undergraduate researcher)
Beck Powers (masters student)
Anoob Prakash (rotation student)
Nikita Puranik (undergraduate researcher)
Isaac Racine (undergraduate researcher)
Pete Roach (undergraduate researcher)
Meghan Robbett (née McKeown) (graduate student)
Jo Robertson (undergraduate researcher)
Haley Rowlands (undergraduate researcher; SURF fellow; Honors project student)
Muniba Siddiqui (undergraduate researcher)
Marian Schubert (visiting graduate student)
Natalia Sowulewska (undergraduate researcher)
Kayla Sturvent (undergraduate researcher)
Rachel Wilson (rotation student)
Jinshun Zhong (postdoctoral researcher)
Noah Beckage (undergraduate researcher)
Sparsh Bhardwaj (South Burlington High student)
Bertrand Black (rotation student)
Max Buchholz (undergraduate researcher)
Sanhita Chakraborty (rotation student)
Paul Cronin (graduate student)
Aayudh Das (graduate student)
Natalie Dedon (undergraduate researcher)
Alex Doty (undergraduate researcher)
Dan Enders (undergraduate researcher)
Siri Fjellheim (visiting scientist)
Eliszabeth Graves (undergraduate researcher)
David Green (rotation student)
Jordan Harris (rotation student)
Lena Heinrich (undergraduate researcher)
Suryatapa Jha (rotation student)
Stacy Jorgensen (research technician)
Jamie Kostyun (postdoctoral researcher)
Kattia Palacio-Lopez (rotation student)
Sarah Powell (undergraduate researcher)
Beck Powers (masters student)
Anoob Prakash (rotation student)
Nikita Puranik (undergraduate researcher)
Isaac Racine (undergraduate researcher)
Pete Roach (undergraduate researcher)
Meghan Robbett (née McKeown) (graduate student)
Jo Robertson (undergraduate researcher)
Haley Rowlands (undergraduate researcher; SURF fellow; Honors project student)
Muniba Siddiqui (undergraduate researcher)
Marian Schubert (visiting graduate student)
Natalia Sowulewska (undergraduate researcher)
Kayla Sturvent (undergraduate researcher)
Rachel Wilson (rotation student)
Jinshun Zhong (postdoctoral researcher)