Justin Borevitz obtained his PhD in 2002 from the University of California at San Diego with Joanne Chory dissecting the genetic basis of adaptive traits and environmental responce in model plants. He performed postdoctoral research with Joseph Ecker (2002-2004) at the Salk Institute mapping plant functional genomic diversity. From 2004 until 2011 he was an assistant and associate professor in the Departent of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago.  Research first demonstrated Genome Wide Association Studies in plants and next generation sequencing in emerging crop and foundation species. In 2012, Borevitz moved to ANU and became Professor in 2014. His current work within the Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology is using Landscape Genomics to select the gene variants underlying adaptation to shifting climates and soils for restoration of global crops and woodlands.