Doris Wagner

Doris Wagner is the DiMaura Professor of Biology at the University of Pennsylvania in the Department of Biology within the School of Arts and Sciences. She leads an active research laboratory focused on plant epigenetics and developmental biology, with significant contributions to understanding chromatin remodeling in plants and the molecular mechanisms underlying floral development.

Dr. Wagner received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley and completed postdoctoral training at the California Institute of Technology. Her research has established her as a leading figure in plant epigenetics, particularly in the study of SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes and their role in plant development and stress responses. She founded the Epigenomics of Plants International Consortium (EPIC) in 2010 and serves as editor-in-chief of Current Opinion in Plant Biology.

Her research interests center on how plant cells reprogram their identity and function during developmental transitions and in response to environmental inputs. Key areas include chromatin remodeling in plants, the role of SWI/SNF complexes in overcoming Polycomb repression, the regulation of floral development by the LEAFY transcription factor, and the interface between chromatin state and environmental responses. Her group employs genetic, epigenomic, computational, molecular, spatial transcriptomics, biochemical and synthetic biology approaches to study these questions.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on chromatin dynamics during plant development, with particular emphasis on SWI/SNF remodeling complexes, Polycomb-mediated silencing, and the pioneer activity of transcription factors like LEAFY. Her work bridges fundamental research in plant biology with potential applications in agriculture, particularly in understanding how plants can be engineered for enhanced resilience to environmental stress.

• Fellow of the American Society of Plant Biologists (2019)
• Founder of the Epigenomics of Plants International Consortium (EPIC) (2010)
• Editor-in-chief of Current Opinion in Plant Biology

Dr. Wagner has mentored numerous graduate students and postdoctoral researchers who have gone on to successful careers in academia and industry. Her laboratory has received significant funding for research on plant epigenetics and development. Current research priorities include understanding the regulation of shoot architecture critical for optimal resource allocation and engineering the epigenome for enhanced plant resilience to environmental stress. The lab maintains active collaborations with researchers worldwide and has developed several innovative techniques for studying chromatin dynamics in plants.