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Lab PI since Nov 2016
Associate Professor, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology Curator, University of Minnesota Herbarium (MIN) Google Scholar 
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Ph.D. candidate (Sep 2024 – ) Precious is working on the systematics and phylogenomics of Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae), focusing on the North American clade of the E. subgenus Chamaesyce.
Profile of Precious by the Bell Museum Google Scholar |
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Undergraduate student (Sep 2023 – May 2025) and post-baccalaureate researcher (Jun 2025 – present)
Addison uses hyperspectral imaging to distinguish among knotweed taxa. |
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Ph.D. student (Aug 2025 – present)
Nick is working on the evolutionary relationships, species boundaries, and conservation genomics of Rubus (Rosaceae). Google Scholar |
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Ph.D. student (Aug 2025 – present)
Zacc is working on the systematics and hybridization of the pondweeds (Potamogeton, Potamogetonaceae). |
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Casey WardUndergraduate student (May 2026 – present)
Casey works with Nick on Rubus conservation genetics |
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Elliott ImigUndergraduate student (May 2026 – present)
Elliott works with Nick on Rubus conservation genetics |
Lab Openings
Postdoc
*Update Summer 2026: We don't have any funded postdoc positions available. However, Ya is happy to work with prospective postdocs applying for grants and fellowships.
Graduate Students
*Update Summer 2026: Our lab is full at the moment. We are not recruiting graduate students for Fall 2027.
Ya is affiliated with two graduate programs:
Plant and Microbial Biological Graduate Program
Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Graduate Program
Internal funds are available for herbarium curatorial assistantship, summer/academic year fellowships, and research awards. Please contact Ya to discuss your interests. Unfortunately, we don't have support for master's students and can only admit Ph.D. students.
Additionally, Ya is happy to assist prospective graduate students with applying for external fellowships, such as the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.
Also, see general info on applying for graduate school by Casey Dunn
A detailed guide on how to apply for graduate school by current UMN graduate students
Undergraduate students
*Update Summer 2026: We are currently at full capacity for undergraduate students. Please check back later!
The lab offers numerous opportunities for motivated undergraduate students, including, but not limited to, field collections, basic molecular laboratory techniques, phylogenetic analyses, and programming projects. Please contact Ya with your CV and a brief description of your interests to discuss potential projects!
*Update Summer 2026: We don't have any funded postdoc positions available. However, Ya is happy to work with prospective postdocs applying for grants and fellowships.
Graduate Students
*Update Summer 2026: Our lab is full at the moment. We are not recruiting graduate students for Fall 2027.
Ya is affiliated with two graduate programs:
Plant and Microbial Biological Graduate Program
Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Graduate Program
Internal funds are available for herbarium curatorial assistantship, summer/academic year fellowships, and research awards. Please contact Ya to discuss your interests. Unfortunately, we don't have support for master's students and can only admit Ph.D. students.
Additionally, Ya is happy to assist prospective graduate students with applying for external fellowships, such as the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.
Also, see general info on applying for graduate school by Casey Dunn
A detailed guide on how to apply for graduate school by current UMN graduate students
Undergraduate students
*Update Summer 2026: We are currently at full capacity for undergraduate students. Please check back later!
The lab offers numerous opportunities for motivated undergraduate students, including, but not limited to, field collections, basic molecular laboratory techniques, phylogenetic analyses, and programming projects. Please contact Ya with your CV and a brief description of your interests to discuss potential projects!
Lab Alumni
Postdocs
Graduate Students
Lab managers
Undergraduate students and post-baccalaureate researchers
Visitors
- Brett Fredericksen (8/2021– 8/2025) worked on linking hyperspectral data with species ID and stress response. Co-advised with Jeannine Cavender-Bares and Nathan Springer. Brett is now a visiting assistant professor at Southern Illinois University.
- Diego Morales-Briones (10/2017–3/2021) worked on hybridization and polyploidy in plant phylogenomic datasets. He mentored students and established lab protocols. Diego is now a postdoc at the University of Munich with Prof. Gudrun Kadereit. Google Scholar Diego's website
- Lingyun Chen 陈凌云 (5/2017–4/2019) worked on gene expression analyses in non-model species. He is now an associate professor at China Pharmaceutical University in Nanjing, China. Google Scholar ResearchGate
Graduate Students
- Aaron Lee (Ph.D. 8/2020–3/2026) uses herbarium spectra to reconstruct functional trait evolution in Polygonaceae. Aaron is now a postdoc with Jeannine Cavender-Bares at Harvard University. Website Bell Museum profile Google Scholar
- Alex Crum (Ph.D. 6/2019–8/2024) studied the evolution of Tyr- and Phe-derived metabolites across Caryophyllales. She also led multiple ethnobotanical projects. Alex is currently an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin, Superior.
- Rebekah Mohn (Ph.D. 8/2017–5/2023 and postdoc 6–9/2023) worked on phylogenomics and chromosome evolution of Drosera (Droseraceae). She is now a postdoc with Andrew Hipp at the Morton Arboretum near Chicago. Google Scholar
- Ben Cooper (M.S., 7/2021–1/2023) took courses in data science and built reproducible Python pipelines to analyze Hyb-Seq data in Caryophyllaceae. Ben is now a data engineer in the industry. Ben's website LinkedIn
Lab managers
- Zachary Radford (12/2020–6/2022) established our stress experiments for the NSF-funded Caryophyllales metabolite project; he also trained students and managed the lab. He is now a Ph.D. student at the Wessinger Lab, University of South Carolina.
- Eileen Yinyin Huang (3/2017–8/2018) set up the new lab, generated RNA-seq data, and trained several lab members. She went on to be a PharmD student at the University of Minnesota. LinkedIn ResearchGate
Undergraduate students and post-baccalaureate researchers
- Jin Oong (post-bac 6/2024–5/2025 worked with Aaron on niche and functional trait evolution in Polygonaceae.
- Lauren Vander Esch (1–8/2024) worked with Aaron to track invasive knotweeds in the upper Midwest using herbarium spectra.
- Kyle Duval (6–9/2023) worked with Aaron to predict functional traits using hyperspectral imaging of herbarium specimens.
- Sophie Naylor (6–8/2023, Colgate U, USDA REEU) used DNA barcoding to identify Hmong herbs with Alex Crum.
- Muna Mohamed (1–5/2023) worked on knotweed stress experiments with Alex Crum.
- Nicholas De La Rosa (1–5/2023) worked on Drosera DNA extraction and plastome analyses with Aaron Lee and Rebekah Mohn.
- Annika Smeenk (1/2022–5/2023) worked on stress experiments and the Hmong herbs project with Alex Crum.
- Adiel J. Andino Acevedo (6–8/2022, U of Puerto Rico at Utuado, USDA REEU) used DNA barcoding to identify Hmong herbs with Alex Crum.
- Erin Boehme (5–9/2021) worked with Rebekah Mohn and Aaron Lee on character evolution in Drosera.
- Ailin Wang (4–7/2019) helped with stress experiments for her directed study project.
Visitors
- Nox Makunga (Summer 2023, visiting professor from Stellenbosch University in South Africa) to collaborate on medicinal plant work. Google Scholar
- Diego Paredes Burneo (Summer 2023, visiting Ph.D. student from the Lagomarsino Lab at Louisiana State University) worked on the phylogenomics of Brachyotum (Melastomataceae).
- Marian Schubert (11–12/2021, visiting postdoc from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences) worked on developing a proposal on macroevolution of cold tolerance and vernalization in the grass family. Google Scholar
- Nan Lin 林楠 (9/2019–9/2020, visiting Ph.D. student from Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences) was awarded a China Scholarship Council fellowship to learn phylogenomic methods. ResearchGate
- Delphine Tefarikis (10–11/2018, visiting Ph.D. student from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany) worked with Diego on reticulate evolution and C2 photosynthesis in Salsola (Amaranthaceae). ResearchGate
July 2023 lab trip to Craters of the Moon, ID after the Botany conference: Rebekah, Ya, Alex, and Aaron
Lab group pic Sep 2021: Ya, Aaron, Erin, Rebekah, Zack, Ben, and Alex
Lab group pic Dec 2019: Diego, Rebekah, Alex, Nan, and Ya.
Lab group pic Oct 2017 (missing Yinyin): Rebekah, Ya, Diego, Zacky (honorary member from the Weiblen Lab), and Chen.