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Welcome to the Schmitt Lab
We study the ecological and genomic mechanisms of plastic responses and evolutionary adaptation to environmental change. We address research questions using the genomic toolbox of the annual weed Arabidopsis thaliana, combined with field experiments, controlled environmental manipulations, climate data, and modeling. We are also exploring research possibilities with other California plant species. Our ultimate goal is to develop a general framework to predict trait expression in novel environments and forecast patterns of population persistence and adaptive evolution in response to changing climate.
Genetic Basis of Complex Traits: What is the genetic basis of adaptive trait variation in the wild? We seek to understand the genetic architecture underlying traits such as flowering time, life history expression, and fitness. Learn more 
Predicting life history expression in natural environments: Can information on the genetic basis of environmentally plastic traits allow us to predict trait expression in novel environments? Learn more
Mechanisms of natural selection and local adaptation: How will natural selection act on novel phenotypes in natural environments, and can we predict how species will evolve or persist in the face of ongoing rapid environmental change?Learn more