Schroeder identified and characterized ion channels in higher plants and identified their functions and regulation mechanisms, in particular in stomatal guard cell signal transduction and abiotic stress resistance. His recent research is focused on uncovering the fundamental mechanisms by which plants regulate stomatal conductance in response to drought, abscisic acid and the continuing rise in the atmospheric CO2 concentration. He has received awards, including the Presidential Young Investigator Award (NSF), the ASPB Charles Albert Shull Award (1997), the Blasker Award in Environmental Science, a Khalifa Award and is Churchill Overseas Fellow at Cambridge University. Julian was elected member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.