My research interests lie in plant ecophysiology, specifically photosynthesis. My PhD research investigates photosynthetic diversity in Euphorbiaceae in order to understand why C4 photosynthesis is so rare in trees. Despite over 60 independent origins, C4 has only been found in one group of true trees, which are Hawaiian endemics in Euphorbia. I am investigating the physiology, ecology, and biogeography of these trees and their relatives in Euphorbiaceae in order to understand how the C4 trees evolved, and why they are so rare.
