Dr. Vivian Irish

Biography

Vivian Irish is the Eaton Professor in the Department of Molecular Cellular Developmental Biology at Yale University. She earned her Ph.D. in Cell Developmental Biology from Harvard University in 1986 and holds a B.A. in Biology from Wesleyan University, completed in 1980. Dr. Irish has a broad interest in the flowering process and utilizes the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana to investigate the developmental genetic mechanisms that control flower formation. The Arabidopsis genome has been completely sequenced, and the species is easily grown and transformed, making it an ideal system for exploring key questions in floral organ development. Her research focuses on understanding the transcriptional mechanisms and signaling processes involved in controlling floral organ development, as well as dissecting the regulatory networks that are conserved among flowering plant species. Ultimately, her work aims to uncover the commonalities in flower development across various plant species, which is essential for developing methods to enhance plant productivity and crop yield.

Research Interests