I studied biology at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch New Zealand where I received my B.S. in 2004. In 2010 I received my PhD working with Elizabeth Pilon-Smits in the Pilon/Pilon-Smits laboratory at Colorado State University.  I have a broad range of scientific interests and my PhD has focused on the ecology of selenium hyperaccumulation in plants.

Some plants accumulate unusually high amounts of selenium (up to 1%) which is non-essential for plants.  This rare phenomenon is called selenium hyperaccumulation.  The ecological interactions of involving selenium hyperaccumulation are obscure and I hope my research sheds light on some of these interactions and increases our understanding of the functional significance and potential ecological costs associated with selenium hyperaccumulation

Please contact me at cquinn@lamar.colostate.edu if you have any questions

Here is a link to my CV