Ya Yang

Ya Yang is recognized nationally and internationally as one of the top researchers working in the field of plant functional phylogenomics—a field of molecular evolution that utilizes genome sequences to analyze and reconstruct evolution. In addition to her impressive track record in funding, scholarship, and teaching, Dr. Yang also serves as the curator of plants for the University of Minnesota Herbarium at the Bell Museum of Natural History. Dr. Yang and her lab members are active participants in public engagement and outreach through the Bell Museum, ranging from summer camps to interactive demonstrations on carnivorous plants and plant pigments.