William (Ned) Friedman
DIRECTOR OF THE ARNOLD ARBORETUM OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY
ARNOLD PROFESSOR OF ORGANISMIC AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
FACULTY FELLOW OF THE ARNOLD ARBORETUM OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY
My research program focuses on the organismic interfaces between developmental, phylogenetic and evolutionary biology. Within the past fifteen years, remarkable advances in the study of the phylogenetic relationships of plants have provided the raw materials for critical studies of character evolution. Armed with hypotheses of relationships among organisms, I seek to explore how patterns of morphology, anatomy and cell biology have evolved through the modification of developmental processes. My work is primarily focused on the origin and subsequent diversification of flowering plants, Darwin’s “abominable mystery.”
My Trinh
PHD STUDENT
Contact | CV
Following My’s 2023 DaRin Butz internship and graduation from Oberlin College with degrees in Biology and Chemistry, she returned in 2024 to the Friedman Lab to pursue her doctorate.
James Fortin
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
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During my DaRin Butz internship (’22), I studied the morphology and development of pores on the gametophytes of hornworts (Anthocerotophyta). With further research, I hope to shed light on the controversy over whether these hornwort gametophytic pores (HGPs), which serve to admit endosymbiotic, nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, might be homologous to the stomata found on the sporophytes of most extant plants, and to explore the implications of such an homology for the evolution of stomata. Outside of work, I enjoy fishing, birdwatching, hiking, and yoga.
Daniel Faccini
PHD CANDIDATE
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My research focuses on understanding the evolution of plant growth forms from both developmental and phylogenetic perspectives. I use the genus Echium (Boraginaceae) as a study system to develop experimental and conceptual tools aimed at advancing our understanding of plant body evolution.
