As a plant breeder, Sarah’s research interests are rooted in interdisciplinary methods that optimize genetic gain to ensure a sustainable food supply. The goal of her research is to facilitate genetic gain by identifying patterns of genetic diversity and modes of inheritance for traits that are important for applied crop improvement. During her PhD, she worked towards this goal by studying the genetic basis of shoot growth in carrots, which is of interest to breeders to improve weed competitive ability and crop yield. While working on this project, she used a combination of a diallel mating design, quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, and image-based phenotyping to address her research questions. This experience instilled her with an appreciation for interdisciplinary research and an understanding of how selective breeding has shaped crop diversity and quality, ultimately inspiring her to pursue postdoctoral training in population genetics. Currently, her research focuses on understanding how demography and selection have influenced the genetic, morphological, and metabolic diversity present in the plant species Brassica oleracea, which includes diverse crops such as kale, cabbage, kohlrabi, broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts.
