Summary
Michelle Gaynor is an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Biology at the University of Michigan who combines computational botany, evolutionary biology, and data science to study the evolution and ecology of flowering plants. With a PhD in Botany from the University of Florida, she has eight years of research experience modeling whole-genome duplication dynamics, population genetics, and climatic niche evolution, illustrated by dissertation case studies on Larrea tridentata and Galax urceolata. She is adept at leveraging natural history collections and digitized biodiversity data for both research and education, having contributed tools and resources as an iDigBio graduate research assistant. Michelle’s work blends mathematical simulation and empirical field studies, reflecting a rare comfort across theory, computation, and specimen-based science. Based in Gainesville, FL, she is building an independent research trajectory that emphasizes the persistence of mixed-cytotype autopolyploid populations and translating collection-based data into broader ecological insight.
8 years of coding experience
6 years of employment as a software developer
Bachelor of Science (BS), Biology, Bachelor of Science (BS), Biology at University of Central Florida
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Botany, Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Botany at University of Florida