Facilities: Plant Tissue Culture and Genomics Lab

Related Centers: Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center (HTIRC)

Education:

2011 Ph.D. Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
2006 M.S. Biotechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
2002 Certification, Animal Care Specialist, Professional Career Development Institute, Norcross, GA
2001 B.S. Department of Biology, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD

Research Interests:

Research is centered upon environmentally-induced parameters that differentiate tropical hardwood populations and drive tropical hardwood genetic improvement. Program involves in silica, in vitro, ex vitro and molecular-based data acquisition in addition to field experimentation. Current research projects use NextGeneration technologies to uncover sequencing data related to climate and altitude adaptation.

Current Research Model: Acacia koa (koa).

Acacia koa A. Gray (koa) is a tree species endemic to the all islands within the Hawaiian archipelago but only exists in populations of sufficient size to be called forests on Hawai’i, Kauai, Maui and Oahu. Free-range cattle grazing and over-harvesting combined with invasive grasses have severely crippled koa forests to a point where populations are continuing to decline despite several small-scale restoration efforts. Koa populations also vary along elevational transects therefore attempts will needed to determine which genetic components allow specific trees to survive conditions intolerable to other members of the species.

Selected Research Publications:

Lawson, S.S., Pijut, P.M., and Michler, C. H. 2013. Species selection in hardwoods research: variations in baseline physiological responses of select temperate hardwood tree species. Journal of Forestry Research 24(2): 285-292.

Pijut, P.M., Beasley, R.R., Lawson, S.S., Palla, K.J., Stevens, M.E., and Wang, Y. 2012. In vitro propagation of tropical hardwood tree species – A review (2001-2011). Propagation of Ornamental Plants 12(1): 25-51.

Pijut, P.M., Lawson, S.S., and Michler, C.H. 2011. Biotechnological efforts for preserving and enhancing temperate hardwood tree biodiversity, health, and productivity. In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology-Plant 47:123-147.

Gerdes, J.M., Zaghloul, N.A., Leitch, C.C., Lawson, S.S., Mitsuma, N., Tan, P.L. Menezes, L.F., Hill, J., Kato, M., Beachy, P.A., Beales, P.L., Germino, G.G., Fisher, S., and Katsanis, N. 2007. Disruption of ciliary and basal body functions perturbs the intracellular Wnt response. Nature Genetics 39:1350-1360.

Badano, J.L., Leitch, C.C., Ansley, S.A., May-Simera, H., Lawson, S.S., Lewis, R.A., Beales, P.L., Dietz, H.C., Fisher, S., and Katsanis, N. 2006. Dissection of epistasis in oligogenic Bardet–Biedl syndrome. Nature 439:326-330.

Extension Publications:

Lawson, S. From Zamorano, Honduras to West Lafayette, Indiana - HTIRC Contemplates a Dual-Language Initiative! 2013.Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources. Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center E-Newsletter 6:1.

Lawson, S. Millions of North American and European Ash Trees Face Certain Death. 2013. Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources. Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center E-Newsletter 6:1.

Lawson, S. Acacia koa Research and Timber Industry Trends: TropHTIRC is One Step Ahead of the Curve. 2012. Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources. Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center E-Newsletter 5:2.

Lawson, S. Restoration of Acacia koa on Hawai'i: Probing the Genome. 2012. Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources. Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center E-Newsletter 5:2.

Lawson, S. Breakthroughs in New-Age Sequencing Technologies Could Accelerate HTIRC Research. 2012. Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources. Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center E-Newsletter 5:1.

Lawson, S. Can Poplar Genes Function in Green Ash? 2012. Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources. Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center E-Newsletter 5:1.

Lawson, S. Emergence of Green Ash as a Research Tool. November 2011. Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources. Compass Magazine 2:1.

Lawson, S. Manipulation of Stomatal Density in Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) Alters Biomass Partitioning in Extreme Cases. October 2011. Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center E-Newsletter 4:2.

Lawson, S. Engineering Drought-Tolerant Hardwoods to Combat Climate Change. April 2011. Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center E-Newsletter 4:1.v