Paul Rymer

Associate Professor Paul Rymer is an ecological geneticist at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment (HIE), Western Sydney University. Specializing in plant evolutionary ecology, his research focuses on understanding how plants adapt to environmental challenges such as drought, climate change, and urbanization. He holds a BSc (Honours) from the University of Western Sydney (1999) and a PhD in Biological Science from the University of Wollongong (2006).

His career includes postdoctoral research at the University of Oxford (2006-2007), a Marie Curie Fellowship at Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and Imperial College London (2007-2009), and work at Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney (2009-2010). At HIE, he leads a lab investigating the genetic and physiological mechanisms underlying plant adaptation, with a focus on eucalypts, Proteaceae, and urban tree species.

Key research themes include:

• Climate-driven adaptation in eucalypt species
• Genomic vulnerability of tree populations to climate extremes
• Urban tree resilience and functional traits
• Phylogenetic and genomic analyses of plant diversity

Collaborations involve institutions like ANU, University of Melbourne, and Currency Creek Arboretum. Ongoing projects examine drought tolerance, local adaptation, and assisted gene migration strategies for threatened species.