PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 

2012-2017 Postdoctoral Scholar/NIH fellow, The University of Chicago

2017-2018 Instructor of Biology, Loyola University 

GSCHWEND LAB RESEARCH

Newly evolved genes are a potential source of phenotypic novelty.  The Gschwend lab takes a comparative genomic approach to identify newly evolved genes that contribute to fitness-related and agronomically significant traits in crops, with a current focus on Vitis (grapes).  Using a combination of computational, experimental, and functional techniques, we identify and study genes which have arisen in the last 11 million years across Vitis species.  Our goal is to identifying genes which contribute to unique fitness attributes, such as environmental adaptation or stress response, and that underlie desired agronomic traits for future crop improvement efforts.