Chase Mason

(He, Him, His)

Assistant Professor

Biology, Biotechnology

Office: SCI 385
Phone: 250.807.9189
Email: chase.mason@ubc.ca

Research Summary

Plant ecophysiology, plant-biotic interactions, plant secondary metabolism, genome-wide association mapping, functional trait evolution, crop biodiversity, crop-wild relatives, evolutionary ecology.

Courses & Teaching

Land Plants (BIOL 210), Plant Ecophysiology (BIOL 358)

Websites

https://plantevoecophys.wordpress.com/

Degrees

PhD, Plant Biology, University of Georgia
B.S., Zoology, University of Florida

Research Interests & Projects

The Mason laboratory focuses on the intersection of plant physiology, genetics, ecology, and evolution. The lab’s research program is focused on understanding adaptive functional trait evolution in wild plants, the consequences of domestication and improvement for crop physiology, the role of plant phytochemistry in ecological interactions, as well as the incorporation of plant secondary metabolism into the plant economics spectrum framework. Current projects include describing the genetic architecture of variation in ecophysiological and phytochemical traits in crop and wild sunflower (Helianthus), as well as determining the consequences of variation in these traits for biotic interactions ranging from pollination, pest and pathogen resistance, and the plant microbiome including symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The laboratory also conducts hybrid cultivar development in Capsicum peppers as a means to train undergraduates in plant breeding and applied plant science skills.

Selected Publications & Presentations

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