Lucia Strader

Lucia Carol Strader serves as Professor of Biology and Associate Professor of Cell Biology at Duke University. She joined Duke as Scholar in Residence in Biology in 2019, was promoted to Associate Professor in Biology in 2020, assumed the role of Associate Professor of Cell Biology in 2022, and advanced to full Professor of Biology in 2023. Prior to Duke, Strader was Assistant Professor of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis. She earned her B.S. in Agronomy from Louisiana State University and her Ph.D. in Molecular Plant Sciences from Washington State University in 2004, followed by postdoctoral training in Biochemistry and Cell Biology at Rice University. Her career has been marked by significant contributions to plant biology, including securing major grants such as a $3.4 million award in 2021 to revolutionize transgenic plants and a $1 million NSF Engines grant in 2024 for the Climate-Resilient Opportunities for Plant Systems Innovation Engine.

Strader's research centers on elucidating the molecular mechanisms of auxin signaling, homeostasis, transport, and crosstalk with other hormones, using Arabidopsis thaliana to explore how plants integrate environmental cues like temperature, light, and nutrients to modulate growth and development. Her lab integrates plant physiology, genetics, biochemistry, structural biology, and synthetic biology to uncover strategies for enhancing crop resilience. Notable publications include "Auxin biosynthesis and storage forms" (Journal of Experimental Botany, 2013, 659 citations), "AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR thermostability" (Nature Communications, March 2026), "Thermosensory reconfiguration of the auxin transcriptional pathway to drive root cell growth" (Nature Communications, March 2026), "Nucleo-cytoplasmic partitioning of ARF proteins controls auxin responses in Arabidopsis thaliana" (Molecular Cell, 2019), and "The Arabidopsis SLEEPY1 Gene Encodes a Putative F-Box Subunit of an SCF E3 Ubiquitin Ligase" (The Plant Cell, 2003). Strader has received prestigious honors, including the National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Award (2015), American Society of Plant Biologists Women's Young Investigator Award (2015) and Charles Albert Shull Award (2022), Society for Experimental Biology Plenary Lecture Award (2025), and election as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2025). She leads NSF-funded projects on transcription factor binding in plant organ formation, transcriptional activation domains across species, and climate-resilient plant systems, influencing advancements in agronomy and sustainable agriculture.

Professional Email: lucia.strader@duke.edu