Monstera Brown
Plant Biology PhD Student at University of Georgia
Leebens-Mack Lab
Williams Lab
Lover of All Things Plant Phylogenetics and Florida Scrub
Contact Me
About Me
I have long since loved plants. I grew up in southwest Florida being instantly a kid who would jump in swamps at every given chance. Over the years I have honed my love of Florida not just through it's swamps but a habitat called the Florida scrub (me pictured underneath standing in this habitat).I believe science happens because people do it and that we should celebrate our differences. As a trans person in the biological sciences I bring a unique perspective that informs much of my work.In my free time I enjoy building community, going to shows, hiking, and playing video and board games.
Phylogenetics of Pinweed + FL Scrub Endemics
Studying the evolution and biogeography of Lechea and Chrysopsis
Sex System of Welwitschia
Studying the evolution of sex chromosomes in Welwitschia
Plant Sex and Human Sex
De-coupling how we talk about plant sex systems from how we talk about human sex systems
Climate Change Phenology
Studying how different phenological phases (flowering time, leafing out, etc.) are changing due to climate change
Herbarium Work
Leveraging herbarium records to investigate historic trends like phenology and phylogenetics
Teaching
University of Georgia
Organismal Biology Lab, BIOL 1104, Instructor (Spring 2025)
Plants and the World, PBIO 1210L, Instructor (Fall 2025)
Science Communication
WRFG 89.3 FM Alternative Perspectives, 05/28/2024 Listen HereHow do we inclusively talk about plant sex?, Journal Club Workshop based on Re-imagining Reproduction: The Queer Possibilities of PlantsTrans Day of Remembrance Speech for Athens Pride & Queer Collective, 11/21/2025
Outreach
Mapping Hiking Trails for CREW Land Trust, I constructed a interactive map of the hiking trails for one of their preserves and created an invasive species sighting report form.
A Molecular Phylogeny of the Golden Asters (Chrysopsis, Asteraceae) and Its Implications for Species Delimitation and Biogeography, Poster for Eagle X (Spring 2024)
Trans/Queer Community Building
- Founder of the Athens Trans Collective, (March 2025)
- Founder of the Athens Transfem Collective, (October 2024)
Florida Scrub
My work predominantly happens in the Florida scrub. When most people think of Florida they think of beaches and swamps, but Florida scrub is more like a desert. It formed when sea levels were high and the middle of Florida was an island separate from the rest of the United States. The "spine" (that you can see below) that runs down the middle of Florida is what used to be this island and forms the Florida scrub.
Credits: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio (Landsat-7, ETM+)
The Florida scrub is home to many endangered and at-risk species including the Gopher Tortoise and Florida Scrub Jay. Additionally it provides an entrance for water to the underground aquifers that 90% of Floridians get their water from. Habitat destruction is Florida scrub's biggest threat. A lot of Florida scrub has been developed into residential community leading to the extinction and decline of many species.
