The field crew at the Petawawa Research Forest – S2023 
Hanna, Nick, Julie and Sabina – field field work for Sabina’s research – S2023 
Nick taking a thermal pic of a spruce twig – S2023 
Lab tour of the Peter Russel Rock Garden, with Peter Russel – W2023 
Picea mariana branch – S2022 
Christina admiring A. thaliana – W2021 
Lab’s Escape room – F2022 
Lina’s GreenHouse Experiment – S2021 
LiCor eating Arabidopsis 
Beautiful xylem anatomy 
Lina’s Field work in Ripon – S2021 
Trait-based Plant Ecology
I study the causes and consequences of trait variation and integration across biological scales, from within individuals to among communities. An empiricist, I use observational and experimental studies (field and lab) to uncover general principles governing patterns of phenotypic diversity.
My work with collaborators and students sits at the intersection of trait variation and co-variation, climate change and selection. My research follows two overarching goals: i. Understanding variation and covariation in plant traits across scales., and ii. Linking plant traits to performance across environments.
Bio
I am an Assistant Professor in the department of Biology at the University of Waterloo. I conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Sherbrooke with Dr. Vellend and at the Centre d’Écologie Fonctionelle et Évolutive of the CNRS with Dr. Violle. There, I examined whether traits can predict species response to warming. I completed my PhD in December 2015 at the University of Arizona with Drs Enquist, McGill and Lechowicz, where I explored the limits of a trait-based approach to ecology, specifically with respect phenotypic complexity and scaling. I obtained my MSc from McGill University in 2009, where I examined variation in leaf traits across biological scales in tropical rainforests.
For more about my research, visit my Research page to learn about my past and current projects or my Google Scholar page for my list of papers. You can also find me on:
Julie Messier 