Katharina Schulte

Katharina Schulte is a researcher at James Cook University (JCU) specializing in plant systematics and evolutionary biology. Her work focuses on molecular phylogenetics, particularly in Orchidaceae and Bromeliaceae, with an emphasis on understanding evolutionary relationships, hybridization, and conservation genetics of threatened species. She has contributed to studies on the diversification of plant groups like Pterostylidinae orchids and Puya species in Chile. Her research integrates genomic and computational methods, such as HybPhaser for hybrid detection in genomic datasets.

Her research interests include angiosperm evolution, systematics of tropical plants, and the impacts of environmental threats like myrtle rust on epiphytic orchids. Key contributions include phylogenomic analyses of Sapindales and collaborations on global biodiversity assessments like the Royal Botanic Gardens' State of the World's Plants report. Schulte's work bridges taxonomic understanding with conservation strategies, leveraging genomic tools to address challenges in hybridization and species delimitation.