Cynthia Chang

Background

Dr. Chang received her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Yale University in 2011 and a B.S. in Conservation Biology from University of Maryland in 2005. Prior to coming to UW Bothell, she was a National Science Foundation Math and Biology Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Washington-Seattle and University of Florida.

Research

Her research examines the causes and consequences of plant diversity across multiple levels of diversity—from population to ecosystem scales. Her research combines observational field studies, greenhouse experiments, and statistical and simulation models to answer questions in plant community ecology.

Currently, her lab has three main research projects:

1. Understanding the relationship between genetic diversity, ecosystem function, and response to climate change with Arabidopsis thaliana.
2. Studying plant community assembly after disturbance on Mount St. Helens volcano
3. Applying ecological theory to restoration in UW Bothell urban wetlands

Education

Yale University – New Haven, CT
Ph.D. – Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

University of Maryland – College Park, MD
B.S. – Conservation Biology