Professor Andrew Lowe

Andy Lowe currently holds a joint position as Professor of Plant Conservation Biology at the University of Adelaide and Head of Science at Adelaide Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium. His current responsibilities are to develop research capability and external linkages for the State Herbarium and more broadly within the Science and Conservation Directorate of the Department of Heritage and Environment. At the University he leads a research team focussed on a range of plant ecological and evolutionary genetic questions.

Andy has an international reputation in plant ecological and evolutionary genetics and his main research areas and successes are:

• demonstrated gene flow and selection pressure changes across a range of fragmented and exploited landscapes, using molecular markers, spatial modeling and genomic assessments of adaptive genes
• influence of past environmental changes on Australasian flora (macadamia, southern pines and rainforest trees), incorporating ancient DNA approaches, to improve future predictability of biotic responses to climate change
• examining the potential for transfer of adaptive genes from native species to new invasives via hybridization for Australian weeds.