Shu-Mei Chang 2502 Plant Sciences Bldg Department of Plant Biology University of Georgia Athens, GA 30602 Office: 3615 Plant Sciences Phone: (706) 583-8026 Fax: (706) 542-1805 chang@dogwood.botany.uga.edu

I am interested in the ecological and evolutionary questions concerning plant reproduction. I am particularly curious about the processes that generate and maintain genetic variation in characters that appear to have obvious effects on reproductive success of plants in natural population. In the past I have combined observation from natural populations, manipulative experiments in the greenhouse and in common gardens, quantitative genetics and molecular evolution approaches in my studies. Though I consider myself an empirical biologist, I am very fond of theoretical studies, and have occasionally done some theoretical investigation for factors difficult to study empirically.

Recently, my research has been focusing on questions relating to the evolution of plant mating systems. There are two main lines of research that are currently ongoing in my lab: (I) Gender specific selection in hermaphroditic plants, and (II) Evolution of separate sexes in plants. Click on the pictures below to find out more about the projects in my lab.

		USDA, NRCS.

 Past research topics include: (1) evolution of selfing in Ipomoea purpurea, (2) molecular evolution of a regulatory gene that influences flower pigmentation in Ipomoea purpurea and (3) characteristics of the spontaneous mutation in Arabidopsis thaliana.

		© William S. Justice, Plants database USDA

I encourage students who are interested in my lab to contact me through email.