Rate My Professor Abigail Moore

Abigail Moore is an Associate Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Oklahoma, serving as Curator of the Robert Bebb Herbarium and as a member of the Oklahoma Biological Survey. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in 2010. In her roles within Plant Biology, Moore contributes to both research and curation efforts, overseeing the herbarium's collections that support studies in floristics, taxonomy, and evolutionary biology. Her academic appointments reflect a commitment to integrating molecular techniques with field-based and specimen-driven research at the university.

Moore's research focuses on plant evolution, employing DNA and RNA sequence data to understand how plants adapt to current habitats, switch between habitats, and diversify ecologically. She investigates the genes involved in key adaptations, such as tolerance to different soil types, drought tolerance, and the influence of polyploidy on ecological diversification. Her studies also examine evolutionary patterns across plant phylogenies and the phylogeography of Oklahoma plant groups, with a strong emphasis on field work and herbarium resources. This approach advances knowledge in plant diversification and phylogenomics. Key publications include 'Range and niche expansion through multiple polyploidizations in American mayweeds (Anthemis, Asteraceae)' (2021), 'A genotyping-by-sequencing analysis reveals recent range expansion and a polyploid series in the Cherleria (Caryophyllaceae)' (2021), 'Targeted next-generation sequencing for species-level phylogenomics and barcode gene recovery: implications for the systematics of tropical Eupatorieae (Compositae)' (2017), and contributions to works on plant adaptation and systematics. Through these efforts, Moore enhances the understanding of plant responses to environmental challenges.