Anne Thomas

I am a plant ecologist fascinated by the forces that shape plant diversity and responses to global change. Prior to joining the BYU Biology Department as an Assistant Professor in January 2026, I was a postdoctoral researcher in the Alpine Ecology Laboratory in Grenoble, France, working with Dr. Wilfried Thuiller to model future scenarios of plant community change in the Alps. I received my PhD from the University of Cambridge in 2023, working with Dr. Andrew Tanentzap on the evolutionary history of an alpine plant radiation in New Zealand. In 2018 I earned a B.S. in Conservation Biology and Bioinformatics from Brigham Young University, where I gained a foundation in ecology research under the mentorship of Dr. Richard Gill.

Besides being a plant nerd, I enjoy an interdisciplinary approach to life--writing poetry, reading all kinds of books, playing the cello and piano, exploring my local environment and beyond, and learning about the places where I live and travel. I write a blog about this kind of thing (and plants) called Anne of Green Places.

Join the lab!

The Thomas Lab is just getting started. I'm currently recruiting graduate students (Master's or PhD) and undergraduates interested in working on the intersection of plant ecology, evolution, and global change impacts.