Foen Peng

Foen Peng is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Haverford College, specializing in evolutionary and genetic mechanisms underlying plant adaptation to pollinators. His research focuses on monkeyflowers (Mimulus), examining genomic and phenotypic changes in floral traits such as color, shape, and scent.

Education:

• BS in Urban Planning (2011), East China Normal University
• PhD in Biology (2018), University of Washington

Peng's lab investigates how organisms evolve in response to environmental pressures, particularly through plant-pollinator interactions, integrating genomics, developmental biology, and ecological modeling. His work spans speciation, immune responses in parasitism, and reaction-diffusion systems in pigmentation.

Recent publications highlight interdisciplinary approaches to understanding evolutionary conflicts, hybrid speciation, and gene regulation in floral adaptation. Research themes include pollinator-driven diversification, genetic trade-offs, and molecular mechanisms of phenotypic variation.