Leading Plant Science Society Recognizes Two Danforth Center Scientists

    ST. LOUIS, MO, May 31, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Andrea Eveland, Ph.D. and Daniel Chitwood, Ph.D. assistant members and principal investigators at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center received prestigious awards from the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB), a professional society devoted to the advancement of the plant sciences.

Eveland was granted one of seven Women's Young Investigator Travel awards and will receive $1,000 to attend the Plant Biology Meeting, an annual meeting focused on plant science in academia, industry and government in Minneapolis, MN later this summer.

Chitwood was named the 2015 Early Career Award winner, a yearly recognition of one scientist who demonstrates independent, creative contributions and outstanding research in the beginning of their career. The recipient cannot be more than seven years post-Ph.D. He will receive a monetary award for his exemplary contributions.

About the Recipients

Andrea Eveland, Ph.D.
Assistant Member and Principal Investigator, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Eveland's work focuses on inflorescence architecture traits in cereal crops, the gene networks controlling cell fate decisions during inflorescence development, and how regulatory changes contribute to various morphologies within a species and across the grasses. Her research integrates computational and experimental approaches to develop predictive models for adaptation to changing environments and to define targets for enhancing yield potential.

Daniel Chitwood, Ph.D.
Assistant Member and Principal Investigator, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Chitwood's research aims to develop high-throughout phenomics approaches and the requisite statistics to describe natural variation in plant morphology and determine its genetic basis.

About the American Society of Plant Biologists
ASPB is a professional society devoted to the advancement of the plant sciences. It publishes two world-class journals and organizes conferences, and other activities that are key to the advancement of the science. Membership in the American Society of Plant Biologists is open to anyone from any nation engaged with the full spectrum of plant science research from fundamental to applied.

About The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Founded in 1998, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a not-for-profit research institute with a mission to improve the human condition through plant science. Research aims to feed the hungry and improve human health, preserve and renew the environment and position the St. Louis region as a world center for plant science. The Center's work is funded through competitive grants and contract revenue from many sources, including the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Agency for International Development, the Bill & Melinda Gates and Howard G. Buffett Foundations. Follow us on Twitter at @DanforthCenter.

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