Who we are
I am an evolutionary palaeobiologist interested in how plants evolved to conquer the land. I work at the interface between the Life and Earth Sciences to study the evolution of plant development.
Background
I studied an MSci in Geology at the University of Bristol (2008-2012) and became fascinated by the evolution of land plants. In 2012 I moved to the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Oxford to undertake my DPhil with Prof Liam Dolan on the evolution of lycophyte roots. My thesis was awarded the Irene Manton Prize in 2018 for the best thesis in Botany by the Linnean Society. After my DPhil I remained in Oxford, first as a postdoctoral researcher (2017) and then a Junior Research Fellow at Magdalen College (2017-2020) continuing my work on root evolution. For my work on root evolution I was named the Palaeontological Association Exceptional Lecturer for 2020-2021. In October 2020 I moved to the Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences (IMPS) at the University of Edinburgh to establish my research group supported by a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship. Since 2020 we have been building capacity in the lab to carry out our Molecular Palaeobotany research including facilities for both molecular biology and work with fossils. The research in the group has also expanded from our primary focus on root and phloem evolution to cover the evolution of shoots, phyllotaxis and the development of a new model lycophyte species. This work has been supported by funding from The Royal Society, ERC and Human Frontiers Science Programme and most recently through the award of a Philip Leverhulme Prize.
Erica joined the lab in February 2021 funding by the UKRI. She will be leading on research to investigate the evolution of the phloem and acting as lab manager for the group.
Rafael joined the lab in January 2022 as a PostDoc. He is working on lycophyte and fern evolution and development, focused on genes related to phloem development in Selaginella and other plants. He is particularly interested in plants with unusual morphologies. Find out more about Rafael's work and interested on his website: http://rafaeldscruz.com/
Anajú joined the lab in April 2024 as a PostDoc. She is working on the evolution of apical growth in early land plants with a focus on the Rhynie chert. Anajú has been working on palaeobotany and palaeoecology of fossil hot springs since her PhD and is particularly interested in the anatomical traits of fossil plants, and how plants interact with microorganisms.
David joined the lab in July 2024 as a Postdoc, having recently completed his PhD in Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge. David is currently working on establishing Selaginella apoda as a tractable model genetic system for understanding the vascularisation of plants. His previous work has been investigating how Marchantia liverworts sense and respond to biotic and abiotic stimuli. He is broadly interested in using extant plants to understand evolutionary transitions by comparative evolutionary studies.
Róisín joined the lab in March 2025 as a PostDoc. She is working on lycophyte evolution and development, specifically looking at leaf phyllotaxis. Róisín’s previous research has included investigating the genetic regulators of leaf venation in maize and petal spot development in a daisy species. She is particularly interested in how developmental mechanisms and the genetic networks underlying them have been shaped by evolution.
Laura joined the lab in September 2021 to conduct a PhD on phloem in the Rhynie chert fossils and living lycophytes, following an undergraduate degree at the University of Oxford.
Sannie joined the lab in October 2021 to do her PhD. She is working on phloem evolution with a focus on ferns and gymnosperms. She completed a Bachelor’s degree in Zhejiang University and an MRes in Imperial College.
Tea joined the lab in October 2021 and is a PhD student researching phloem evolution in angiosperms and gymnosperms. She completed her undergraduate and Research Masters at National University of Ireland, Galway.
Diego joined the lab in September 2024 and is a PhD student researching spiral phyllotaxis evolution in land plants, with a focus on understudied plant groups. They completed a Bachelor’s degree in Salamanca University and an MSc in University of Edinburgh – Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
Rosa joined the lab in October 2024 to conduct a PhD on lycophytes in the Rhynie chert fossils, following a masters at the University of Bristol.
Jeremy joined the lab in September 2023, he is working on the fossil plants from the Carboniferous fossil site Oxroad Bay locality.
Masters Students
2023-2024 Jeremy Wyman (Palaeontology and Geobiology MScR, School of Geosciences)
2021-2022 Dylan Hundleby (Palaeontology and Geobiology MScR, School of Geosciences)
2021: LuLi (RBGE Masters)
Honours Project students
2025 Ciara Parratt
2024: Erin Ryan (University of Glasgow)
2023: Kuo Xu
2022: Jenn Westermann and Beth Mitchell (Anderson Henry Prize and Lang Scholarship Prize)
2021: Holly-Anne Turner (Botanical Society of Scotland Student Prize)
Undergraduate Summer Students
2023: Ciara Parratt, Sophie Burne, Hannah Marshall (University of Glasgow)
2021: Jenn Westermann
2019/2020: Anna Jones and Siobhán Bridson (Department of Plant Sciences, Oxford)
Holly-Anne Turner, Holly-Anne joined the lab in January 2021 to do her undergraduate honours project and on completion of this she worked as a Research assistant until April 2022.
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