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Welcome to our lab at the University of Alberta. Feel free to check out the people and research of our group.

As you will see, much of our work is about the xylem and how plants use water, the molecule of life. Both plants and water are key to our existence on Earth.

We are also fascinated by aquaporins (water channels that are present in plants, mammals and many other organisms), and how they function in plants.

Our mission

Water is essential for the existence of life. Water also plays a crucial role in the life of plants, allowing forests to produce oxygen, take up carbon dioxide, provide wildlife habitat, and produce wood. Water is critical to crop production, allowing agricultural crops to feed the growing population on our planet.

Given that water is often limiting for growth, how do plants optimize the use of this vital resource when exposed to different abiotic conditions? We study this issue on different levels, beginning with the molecular control of water uptake by roots, continuing with the dynamics of xylem transport, and ending with the stomatal control of water loss in leaves.

A key goal is to identify traits that would allow breeding for plants that are more drought tolerant and are able to grow under a wide variety of environmental conditions. Another goal is to understand more specifically how drought causes forest dieback in Canada and other parts of the world. These goals have practical implications in light of our changing climate.

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