Tia-Lynn Ashman

Dr. Tia-Lynn Ashman is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research focuses on evolutionary ecology, particularly polyploidy’s role in biodiversity, sex chromosome evolution, plant-pollinator interactions, and floral trait evolution. She leads a lab conducting field and genomic studies in diverse ecosystems, including California serpentine seeps, Hawaiian volcanic landscapes, and urban contexts.

Education: Ph.D. in Ecology, University of California, Davis (1991). Postdoctoral training at McGill University with DJ Schoen. Joined Pitt in 1994.

Research Interests: Polyploidy’s impact on genomic and functional biodiversity; sex chromosome evolution in Fragaria; plant-pollinator networks under environmental change; floral trait evolution driven by pollinators, pathogens, and abiotic factors. Current projects include studying nickel hyperaccumulation effects on pollination and genomic analysis of octoploid strawberry evolution.

Her lab’s work integrates genetics, ecology, and phylogenetics to address fundamental questions in plant evolution. Key collaborations include international teams studying Fragaria genetics and global pollination networks.