Shelley Hepworth

Professor

• B.Sc. (Waterloo), Ph.D. (Toronto)
• 315 Nesbitt Biology Building, Carleton University
• 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6
• Email Shelley Hepworth
• 613-520-2600 ext 4214

• Visit the Website

Research

The Hepworth lab studies plants. Plants contribute to our well-being in many different ways as a source of habitat, food, shelter, and medicine. Our research focuses on plant architecture traits that are important for crop yield.

The source of physical traits in a plant is the shoot apical meristem, a dome-like cluster of stem cells that drives vertical growth and produces leaves, branches, and flowers according to the life cycle.  We study how this development is timed and organized at the level of genes and molecules. Application of this knowledge is used to optimize traits like branching architecture, abscission, and seed dispersal in crop plants.

We work in partnership with university and government researchers in Canada (e.g. University of Ottawa, National Research Council Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) and other parts of the world (e.g. Institute Jean-Pierre Bourgin in France, Lanzhou University in China) and industry (e.g. Cannabis Orchards) in sharing students, ideas, and resources to improve the speed and efficiency of crop breeding.

In you are interested in plant biology, we’d love to hear from you. We have opportunities for students at all levels. Please contact me at the address above. For details about specific projects, you can also visit our website.

Selected Publications

V. Pautot, J. Crick*, S.R. Hepworth (2025) Abscission zones: cellular interfaces for the programmed separation of organs. Annals of Botany (in press)

S. Li*, B. Devi*, G. Allam*, A. Bhullar, J. Murmu, E. Li, and S.R. Hepworth. (2023) Regulation of secondary growth by poplar BLADE-ON-PETIOLE genes in Arabidopsis. Frontiers in Plant Science 14, 1244583

J. Crick*, L. Corrigan*, K. Belcram, M. Khan*, J. Dawson, B. Adroher, S. Li, S.R. Hepworth, and V. Pautot (2022). Floral organ abscission requires the combined activities of three TALE homeodomain transcription factors. Journal of Experimental Botany 73, 6150-6169.

N. Manes*, E. Brauer, S.R. Hepworth, and R. Subramaniam (2021). MAMP and DAMP signalling contributes resistance to Fusarium graminearum in Arabidopsis. Journal of Experimental Botany 72, 6628-6639.

Y. Wang*, B.C. Salasini*, M. Khan*, B. Devi*, M. Bush*, R. Subramaniam, and S.R. Hepworth. (2019) Clade I TGA bZIP transcription factors mediate BLADE-ON-PETIOLE dependent regulation of development. Plant Physiology 180, 937-951

J.L. Parsons*, S.L. Martin, T. James, G. Golenia, E.A. Boudko, and S.R. Hepworth. (2019) Polyploidization for the genetic improvement of Cannabis sativa. Frontiers in Plant Science 10, 476.1090.