Erika J. Edwards

Botanist Erika Edwards is a Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale University, Director of the Marsh Botanical Garden at Yale University, and Curator of Botany at the Yale Peabody Museum.

Her research focuses on various problems in plant evolution, using a wide range of biological data to understand the many ways plant species have adapted their form and function over time. In her work, Edwards integrates many types of biological data—quantifying everything from molecules to global climate—to build a complete picture of how and why plants have evolved such a diverse array of forms. Her lab is especially interested in how C4 and CAM photosynthesis—two complex plant adaptations to low carbon dioxide levels, hot temperatures, and drought—have evolved so frequently over time.

Edwards received a B.S. in Earth Systems from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Yale University.