Dr. Heather McFarlane is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cell and Systems Biology. She completed her Bachelor's degree at the University of British Columbia, her Master's degree at McGill University, and her Ph.D. in the University of British Columbia.

The long-term goal of the McFarlane lab is to discover how plants sense and respond to cell wall changes. This research involves a broad range of activities, including uncovering the molecular mechanisms of cell wall signaling, tracking cell wall changes in response to these signals, revealing subcellular structure-function relationships during cell wall synthesis, integrating cell wall signaling networks with other plant signaling mechanisms, and understanding the evolution of cell wall signaling pathways within plants. They use a combination of techniques, such as live cell imaging, electron microscopy, biochemistry, and genetic screens to address these goals. Research results from the McFarlane lab will inform plant cell wall modification strategies, which can advance applications in sustainable agriculture, food security, and next-generation biofuel development.

In 2019, Dr. McFarlane was awarded a Canada Research Chair in Plant Cell Biology.