Max Carter-Brown

Max Carter-Brown is a Lecturer in the Department of Life Sciences at Anglia Ruskin University, within the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Cambridge. He is a member of the Biomedical Research Group and holds research associate positions at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh and the Wellcome Sanger Institute. His work bridges evolutionary biology, genomics, and plant ecology.

Education:

• PhD in Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh
• BA in Biological Sciences, University of Oxford

Max’s research focuses on plant biodiversity using genomics. His interests include plant hybridization across ploidy levels, host-parasite interactions in hemiparasitic Euphrasia, mitochondrial genome diversity in vascular plants, and somatic mutation genomics in long-lived trees. He combines field botany with advanced bioinformatics and statistical modeling to address evolutionary questions. His work often involves collaboration with major institutions such as Kew Gardens, Cambridge Botanical Gardens, and the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland.

His recent publications highlight a strong trend in evolutionary genomics, particularly in hybridization, polyploidy, and the development of bioinformatics tools for genome analysis. Themes include the genomic basis of hybrid formation, cross-ploidy introgression, and functional tool development for telomere and organelle genome assembly. His work integrates ecological data with genomic resources to create comprehensive biodiversity datasets.

Scientific Awards and Memberships:

• Member, Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland
• Member, British Ecological Society

Max supervises undergraduate and postgraduate students in genetics, genomics, and plant ecology. He has collaborated on numerous research projects involving large-scale genomic initiatives such as the Darwin Tree of Life project. His work is supported by institutional affiliations and collaborative networks rather than explicitly mentioned grants. He is active in developing open-source bioinformatics tools and promoting data sharing in plant genomics.

Max is involved in research teams focused on plant evolutionary genomics, particularly through his roles at ARU and the Wellcome Sanger Institute. His lab contributes to national biodiversity initiatives and the development of genomic resources for UK flora. He emphasizes integrative approaches combining taxonomy, ecology, and genomics.