#  Welcome to our new Research Fellow! 

 





February 01, 2021

 

 

- [ News ](/news-categories/news)
 
 

 

 Welcome to our newest HUH Research Fellow, Dr. Andrea Berardi!

 Andrea is a plant ecological and evolutionary geneticist. She recently completed a postdoc in Cris Kuhlemeier’s Lab at the Institute of Plant Sciences in Bern, Switzerland where she worked on the evolution of floral color (visible and UV) and scent in wild *Petunia* species*.*

 At the HUH, Andrea will be mentored by [Dr. Robin Hopkins](http://hopkins-lab.org/) and will focus her research on floral color evolution in North American *Silene*. Of the ~700 *Silene* species, only eight produce red flowers. These red-flowering species only belong to polyploid lineages and are restricted to North America. To determine what the most likely driver of floral color evolution is in *Silene* (pollinator shifts, sympatric competition, or polyploidy), Andrea will survey the Gray Herbarium (GH) as well as make collection trips to contribute to the collections with newly described endemic *Silene* species.

 Welcome, Andrea!



 

 

 



 

 

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