Rate My Professor Brendan Choat

Choat's research specializations encompass plant physiology and ecology, with a focus on xylem hydraulic function, cavitation and embolism, drought response strategies, and the impacts of climate change on native vegetation, forestry, and horticultural plants. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications in top journals such as Nature, Science, PNAS, Plant Physiology, and New Phytologist. Key publications include "Triggers of tree mortality under drought" (2018), "Beyond species means: the intraspecific contribution to global wood density variation" (2026, New Phytologist), "Drought sensitivity is climate-adapted and consistently influenced by wood density and maximum height in eucalypts" (2025, Functional Ecology), "Adaptation in wood anatomical traits to temperature and precipitation—a common garden study" (2025, Plant, Cell and Environment), and "Demographic change and loss of big trees in resprouting eucalypt forests exposed to megadisturbance" (2024, Global Ecology and Biogeography). His contributions have established him in the top 1% of Highly Cited Researchers according to Clarivate in Plant and Animal Science for years 2018 through 2024. Major awards include the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship for Experienced Researchers (2010), ARC Future Fellowship (2013), Thomson Reuters Citation and Innovation Award (2015, shared with Tim Brodribb for drought and tree mortality research), and Western Sydney University Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research Excellence in Research Leadership and Development award (2024). Choat serves as Editor-in-Chief of Prometheus Protocols and on the editorial board of Plant Biology.