Faculty Research
As an important part of a student-centered research university, the Biology Department provides instruction on research and offers its undergraduates and graduate opportunities to participate in research.
- Yasir Ahmed-Braimah: Computational genomics, evolutionary genetics, speciation, molecular basis of reproductive interactions.
- David M. Althoff: Evolutionary ecology of species interactions, insect community ecology, molecular ecology, phylogenetics.
- Katie M. Becklin: Physiology, ecology, and evolution of species interactions, and their responses to environmental change.
- Carlos A. CastaƱeda: Biochemistry and biophysics of protein structure and dynamics.
- Heather D. Coleman: Plant biotechnology.
- Steve Dorus: Evolutionary genetics and genomics of reproductive systems.
- Scott Erdman: Eucaryotic cellular organization and differentiation, functional genomics in fungal systems.
- Thomas P. Fondy: Physico-chemotherapy of leukemia in cell culture, actin microfilament in cell signaling, cytokinesis as a key target in cancer therapy.
- Douglas A. Frank: Plant/ecosystem ecology with emphasis on plant-herbivore interactions.
- Austin Garner: Organismal attachment, functional morphology, biomechanics, anatomy, bio-inspired adhesion, biomimetics.
- Paul Gold: Aging, cell signaling and communication; learning, memory, and plasticity; neurological and psychiatric conditions.
- Sarah E. Hall: Cellular memory of developmental history in C. elegans.
- Heidi Hehnly: Understanding the interface between cytoskeletal dynamics and membrane transport, and defining how they co-regulate one another to control essential cellular processes such as cell division, fate, and polarity.
- James Hewett: Neuromodulators and epilepsy; function of arachidonic acid metabolism, Cyclooxygenase-2, and interleukin-1 in the central nervous system.
- Sandra Hewett: Mechanisms underlying cell death in the central nervous system: the interplay between excitotoxicity and inflammation.
- Robin Jones: Neuroscience; alternatives to traditional teaching approaches and utilization of active learning techniques to help students grasp scientific concepts.
- Donna L. Korol: Neural mechanisms of learning and memory across the lifespan.
- Jamie Lamit: Ecology of plants, microbes and soil, with an emphasis on global change and wetlands.
- George M. Langford: Actin cytoskeleton, axonal transport in nerve cells, fungal pathogenesis of epithelial cells.
- Katharine (Kate) Lewis: Specification and patterning of spinal cord interneurons, formation of functional neuronal circuitry, evolution of spinal cord patterning and function, dorsal-ventral neural tube patterning, zebrafish development.
- Zhanjiang (John) Liu: Aquaculture genomics and bioinformatics.
- Jessica MacDonald: Genetic and epigenetic mechanisms regulating neuronal development and function; gene-environment interactions and neurodevelopmental disorders.
- Eleanor Maine: Genetic regulation of development, cell-signaling, germline development, RNA silencing.
- Vera McIlvain: Cellular and molecular mechanisms of eye and brain development.
- Angela Oliverio: Eco-evolutionary dynamics, experimental biology, bioinformatics, soil microbiology, systems and computational biology, metagenomics, synthetic sourdough starter microbiomes.
- Susan E. Parks: Behavioral ecology, acoustic communication, marine science, conservation biology.
- Melissa E. Pepling: Regulation of mouse oocyte development, hormone signaling in oocyte differentiation.
- Scott Pitnick: Evolution of reproduction and life history traits.
- Ramesh Raina: Epigenetic mechanisms regulating plant defense against pathogens and plant development.
- Surabhi Raina: Molecular basis of plant responses to stresses.
- Mark E. Ritchie: Biodiversity, plant-herbivore interactions, environmental science.
- Kari A. Segraves: Coevolution, mutualism, evolution of plant-insect interactions.
- Robert B. Silver: Cell division, macrophages, secretion of neurotransmitters without membrane fusion (porocytosis), mechanisms of parthenogenetic activation of eggs versus fertilization, energetic materials.
- Roy D. Welch: Molecular aspects of signaling among a homogeneous population of bacteria.
- Michele G. Wheatly: Comparative physiology of decapod crustacea, cellular and molecular biology of epithelial (branchial/renal) ion motive proteins, biocomplexity.
- Jason R. Wiles: Education research in the life and earth sciences with special attention to teaching and learning about biological evolution; science education at all academic levels.