Whitlock Lab

I joined the Whitlock Lab here at UM in August 2024. Dr. Barbara Whitlock explains the goals for her lab:

“The primary goal of my research is to understand the origins of plant diversity. I use phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequence data in combination with information from morphology, anatomy, and ecology to understand the timing and direction of changes in floral and vegetative traits, geographic distribution, and diversification rates. My students and I have studied many different groups of flowering plants, from both tropical and temperate regions.  However, I have a longstanding interest in chocolate, Theobroma cacao, and its relatives in the Malavaeae.  My research has always had a strong field component. I have studied plants in Cameroon, Australia, many locations in South and Central America, and more recently in the western US and Florida.”

My dissertation research focuses on the comparative morphology of the Malvaceae. Chapters will focus on but aren’t limited to:

(i) investigating the floral development of Eyebright Ayenia (Ayenia euphrasiifolia), specifically anther and petal morphogenesis, (ii) comparing image analysis methods like micro-CT and photogrammetry to find the more accurate technique for morphological measurements, and (iii) examining self-compatible and self-incompatible fertilization varieties of cacao (Theobroma cacao) and seeing if morphological features can serve as a proxy for compatibility status.