Jessica Guo

Jessica Guo is an Assistant Professor of Climate and Biology at Harvey Mudd College, where she investigates the physiological and ecological responses of terrestrial ecosystems to climate change. Her research integrates plant physiology, ecohydrology, and forest ecology, focusing on how vegetation acclimates to heatwaves and altered precipitation regimes. Recent breakthroughs include documenting intensive leaf cooling as a key mechanism for tree survival during record heatwaves (PNAS, 2024) and demonstrating that temporal repackaging of rainfall magnifies negative impacts of vapor pressure deficit on semiarid productivity (New Phytologist, 2025). Her global meta-analyses challenge assumptions about precipitation pulse dynamics, while her work on photosystem II thermal acclimation advances understanding of high-temperature limits in land plants. Guo also develops open-access tools, including PSInet, a global water potential network, and CAT-GxD, a gene expression dataset repository. Her interdisciplinary collaborations span biogeosciences and plant science, positioning her research at the forefront of climate-vegetation feedbacks.