Research Opportunities
Faculty are recruiting prospective students for the following projects detailed below.
Plants of Concern
Dr. Amy Iler
Open to MS Students
Plants of Concern is a rare plant monitoring program sponsored by the Chicago Botanic Garden and largely supported by community science. We work with the Forest Preserves of Cook County, among other partners, to ensure that our monitoring data is as useful as possible. In working together, we have identified some important questions: (1) How do regional population trends compare to population trends managed by the Forest Preserves of Cook County? (2) If there are differences, can these be attributed to differences in management? This would be a multi-species analysis of existing data, in addition to fieldwork during the monitoring months.
Genome-enabled conservation genomics of the threatened northern blue monkshood (Aconitum noveboracense)
Dr. Suzy Strickler
Open to both MS & PhD
The genus Aconitum (Ranunculaceae) includes roughly 250 species of herbaceous perennials distributed across temperate montane regions of the Northern Hemisphere. These visually striking plants are vital components of alpine and subalpine meadow ecosystems, supporting diverse pollinator communities through their nectar, pollen, and foliage. Aconitum has also captured human attention for millennia due to its suite of highly bioactive alkaloid compounds—collectively referred to as aconite—which have been used historically in traditional medicines and poisons across Europe, Asia, and North America. Today, overharvesting for medicinal use, combined with habitat alteration and climate change, has placed many species at risk. Of the six Aconitum species native to North America, A. noveboracense—the northern blue monkshood—is federally listed as threatened, with a few small, isolated populations remaining in New York, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Ohio.
To strengthen conservation strategies for this rare species, we are applying population and comparative genomics to resolve its taxonomy, evolutionary history, and biosynthetic diversity. We are generating a high-quality reference genome for A. noveboracense as a foundation for integrative genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analyses. These approaches aim to (1) clarify population structure and biogeography across North American Aconitum, (2) assess genetic diversity and gene flow to inform management of remnant populations, and (3) elucidate the genetic and chemical diversification of alkaloid biosynthesis within the genus. Together, these efforts will provide critical insight into the evolutionary processes and conservation needs of this threatened lineage.
Pawpaw Genomics at the Northern Edge: Adaptation, Dispersal, and Germplasm Gaps
Dr. Suzy Strickler
Open to MS Students
Pawpaw is attracting growing interest from horticulturists and growers, but most named cultivars come from central and southern parts of the range, and their performance in cooler, shorter‑season climates is often uncertain. Breeding reliably cold‑hardy trees requires knowing where useful northern germplasm occurs, how it relates to existing cultivars, and which genetic lineages are missing from today’s breeding material. Genotyping‑by‑sequencing (GBS) is a cost‑effective way to survey thousands of genetic markers across many trees, providing much more detail than previous microsatellite or limited genomic studies. By applying GBS to >800 leaf samples from >50 northern populations, together with existing GBS datasets for ~300 wild individuals and most KSU PRVT cultivars, this project will show which northern stands are genetically distinct, which are closely related to current cultivars, and where important germplasm gaps remain. Over 24 months, we will complete GBS for the remaining northern samples, integrate all datasets, and analyze genetic structure, relatedness, and associations with cold‑related climate variables, producing maps, tables, and database tools that NNGA members can use to guide germplasm collection, planting trials, and future breeding.