Dlugosch is an evolutionary ecologist who studies the genetic and evolutionary consequences of colonization events. Her work draws largely on the natural experiments provided by human-mediated species introductions and seeks to understand how the genetic variation in these populations translates into phenotypic diversity, adaptation, and changes in ecology. To do this she employs a variety of genetic approaches (quantitative, molecular, and genomic/bioinformatic) as well as field experiments. Research in her lab includes studies of 1) the genetic basis of evolution in invasive plants (in traits governing changes in life history, trade-offs between growth and defense, and microbial interactions), 2) the contribution of multiple introductions and genomic admixture to population establishment and expansion, and 3) the role of local adaptation in generating population stability during range expansion and in response to climate change.