Shawn Thomas receives John D. Bies International Travel Award

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Sept. 26, 2024

Shawn Thomas - a graduate student in the University of Missouri's College of Arts and Science - is a recipient of Mizzou's John D. Bies International Travel Scholarship, which enabled him to recently participate in the 2024 International Botanical Congress in Madrid, Spain.

The congress, held every six years, serves as a global platform for botanical researchers. With more than 3,000 participants from 95 countries, the event featured a diverse range of scientific presentations, including keynote lectures, symposia and poster sessions.

Thomas's research on the evolutionary genomics of the Brassicaceae family was selected for a presentation as part of the "Advances in Phylogenomics and Systematics of the Brassicaceae" symposium. His talk focused on identifying ancient genome duplications shared by mustard crops and their wild relatives and the subsequent impact of these duplications on key biological traits.

In addition to attending the congress, Thomas visited the Gómez-Campo Seed Bank at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. This renowned seed bank, established in 1966, is dedicated to the preservation and conservation of rare and endangered plant species. Thomas' interactions with the seed bank's director and researchers led to discussions of potential collaborations based on their shared research interests.

"This experience was crucial for my professional development and will continue to influence my research career with new collaborations," he said.

Thomas is a doctoral candidate co-advised by Jacob Washburn, a research geneticist, and Curators' Distinguished Professor J. Chris Pires.

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