I am a Professor in the Department of Botany at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver) and Canada Research Chair in Plant Cell Biology. I have held these positions since 2004.

Our lab explores the mechanisms that drive plant development, particularly those that enable plants to adapt to prevailing environmental conditions. It is estimated that plants first colonized land about 460 million years ago. We are interested in discovering the mechanisms that enabled this remarkable transition.
 
We largely focus on the cytoskeleton and cell walls, using genetic engineering to generate plants that can be used in microscopy-based imaging, biochemical and gene expression assays. With these strategies, we are answering key questions about how plants are able to be so successful in challenging habitats.