Hall Lab Team
Current Students
Stacie Weissner (MSc)
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Kian Merkosky (MSc)
My research focuses on the diversity of petal form and function, including the drivers behind specialized floral patterning and monosymmetry found in the Cleomaceae. This includes studying the types and distributions of pigments used across petals to generate unique patternings, as well as genetic analyses to see the players involved in producing differences between top and bottom petal pairs. I have been in the Hall lab since 2022, and have previously completed research on floral nectaries and petal appendages in the Cleomaceae.
Ocean Roos (MSc)
My research is focused on the genetic basis of floral nectary shape and positioning within Cleomaceae. I will be using methods such as transcriptomics and in situ hybridization to determine the expression of genes related to nectary development. I have been in the Hall Lab since 2024, where I completed two undergraduate research projects looking at the changes in floral nectaries with climate change, and the mechanisms of petal colouring and patterning. I am excited to continue my research with the Hall Lab over these next few years.
Previous Students
Brandi Zenchyzen (PhD)
My PhD dissertation focused on often-overlooked floral traits associated with pollination including the androgynophore, nectaries, nectar, and scent. By integrating morphological, chemical, and genetic analyses, I generated new insights into floral trait diversity and evolution. I am currently a Postdoc in Dr. Gordon Fitch’s lab at York University, where I am leading a large-scale field experiment manipulating Monarda fistulosa chemotype diversity across plots to examine the effects of plant chemical variation on pollinator attraction, herbivory, and powdery mildew susceptibility.
Shane Carey (PhD)
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