Stanley, Lauren

Biography

I am a developmental geneticist and evolutionary biologist interested in connecting natural genetic variation to phenotypic diversity in plants. I earned my Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut, and just completed an NSF Plant Genomes Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology at Michigan State University. I study floral color in species of the wildflower genus Mimulus (monkeyflowers) using developmental and population genetics approaches. The questions that motivate my research include: What are the genes and mutations underlying the stunning array of color and pattern variation in Mimulus flowers? Is the repeated evolution of pigmentation traits predictable at the genetic level? What are the developmental, phylogenetic, and selective factors constraining color and pattern innovation?