Peter Franks

Associate Professor Peter Franks is a plant environmental physiologist at the University of Sydney's School of Life and Environmental Sciences. His research focuses on plant-climate interactions, particularly how stomatal pores regulate photosynthesis and transpiration in response to environmental signals. He investigates the co-evolution of Earth's climate and vegetation over geological time, with applications in Earth system models to predict future CO₂ impacts.

Education: BSc (Hons) and PhD in Plant Sciences (Australian National University, 1998). Former roles include Lecturer/Senior Lecturer at James Cook University and ARC Future Fellow. Awards include fellowships from Harvard University, University of Cambridge, and NCAR.

Research interests span understanding CO₂'s role in plant evolution, paleoatmospheric reconstruction, and climate modeling. Key themes include climate change, plant adaptation, and Earth system dynamics. His work bridges geological, molecular, and physiological data to address global environmental challenges.

Publications emphasize stomatal conductance, CO₂ proxies, and land-climate feedbacks, with contributions to models like Earth System Models (ESMs) and Global Change Biology. Notable collaborations include work on the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary and Paleocene rainforest CO₂ levels.

• Scientific Awards: ARC Future Fellow, Harvard/ Cambridge/NCAR fellowships.
• Grants: Includes studies on heat stress impacts, future climates, and stomatal genetics.
• Labs/Teams: Sydney Institute of Agriculture, collaborations with global institutions.