Research projects in my lab center around the theme of dissecting molecular mechanisms underpinning tree fitness and biomass productivity. I am particularly interested in the regulation of phenylpropanoid metabolism. Two classes of phenylpropanoids, phenolic glycosides and condensed tannins, in particular, play important roles in defense and stress management among Salicaceae (e.g., poplars and willows), and together with lignin, represent a large carbon sink that can account for more than 50% of leaf biomass in these species. Their potential effects on tree growth, fitness, and wood quality, and their documented impacts on ecosystem dynamics are the driving force behind this line of research into the molecular regulation of phenylpropanoid metabolism.