Faculty and Staff

BS, Texas Tech University; MS, Texas Tech University; PhD, University of Texas at Austin. The research in our laboratory examines the pharmacology and biophysics of voltage-dependent sodium channels. We investigate the influence of local anesthetic agents and naturally occurring neurotoxins on the gating kinetics of the channels

BS, MS, Moscow State University (Russia); PhD, University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center. We are interested in understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms of germline and stem cell development. In addition, we aim at the identification of novel molecular factors which promote longevity of living organisms.

MS, Friedrich-Alexander University (Germany); PhD, University of Missouri Columbia. I am fascinated by the evolution of animal behavior. More specifically, I study how the environment (i.e., phenotypic plasticity), female choice (i.e., sexual selection), and parasitoids (i.e., natural selection) affect the evolution of reproductive communication in insects. My lab is currently working on two of the only three described Orthopteran species that exhibit phenotypic plasticity in their mating calls.

BSc [hons], Manchester University; DPhil, University of Oxford. Research Interests: We study the epigenetic factors affecting the differentiation of neural stem cells in the stem cell niche. We also take examine theoretical aspects of gene expression profiles in morphogenetic fields.

BS, University of Maine; MS, University of Arkansas-Monticello; PhD, University of Florida. I am interested in how wildlife respond to management and anthropogenic stressors, including urbanization, agriculture, and invasive species. I address these impacts on individuals (e.g. predation risk and stress) and populations. I aim to understand the broader implications of individual and population level impacts on ecosystem health and for my research to help inform the management and conservation of wildlife.

BA, Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota; MS, Kansas State University; PhD. Southern Illinois University - Carbondale. I am an aquatic community ecologist with a wide range of interests which have recently included the use of aquatic macroinvertebrates for bioassessment in stream restoration and Arctic scaling studies, the role of invasive Asian carp on reservoir biology, and the reintroduction of native fish species.

BA, University of California, San Diego; MS, PhD, Oregon State University. I study how environmental factors affect the host-parasite ecology of terrestrial insects. I am especially interested in how climate change affects Caribbean termites and how agricultural chemicals affect dragonflies.

BS, MS, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China; PhD, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada. I am interested in large-scale species distribution modelling using information derived from remote sensing and biophysical traits of plant species. I also study the characteristics of invasive plants and their impacts on native ecosystems.

BA, MS, University of Montana; PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison. My lab is broadly interested in the biological importance and biotechnological application of inteins. Inteins, or internal proteins, are self-catalytic, mobile genetic elements removed from host genes through protein splicing. Abundant in the microbial world, inteins have recently emerged as adaptive regulatory elements, representing a novel and potentially widespread form of posttranslational regulation. Further, the power of inteins to make and break peptide bonds has been utilized extensively in biotechnology, and my lab seeks to develop new applications of this chemistry.

BS in Biology, Behrend College, Penn State University; MS in Wildlife and Fisheries Science, Penn State University; PhD in Ecology, Penn State University. I study landscape and ecosystem ecology, with a focus on wetlands. My current research examines how the landscape context affects microbial communities and nutrient cycling in freshwater and salt water wetlands. I use a combination of field studies, laboratory experiments, and spatial modeling tools to understand these dynamics.

MD, Jiangxi Medical University; PhD, Tokyo Medical and Dental University. My research laboratory is focused on determining the physiological and pathological role of H+ secretion pumps of H+-ATPase (potassium-independent) and H+-K+-ATPase (potassium-dependent) in normal tissue homeostasis and disease processes.

BS and MS, Tribhuvan University, Nepal; Ph.D., University of Connecticut. I am a plant evolutionary biologist. I study how plants and their complex set of interacting traits have evolved through time (in million years) and space. I do that by building phylogenies (evolutionary trees) of mostly modern (extant) plants using DNA and morphological data.

BS, Truman State University; MS, Morehead State University; PhD, University of Southern Illinois, Carbondale. I am a fish ecologist interested in fish, watersheds, and all things involved with aquatic ecology. I study both game and non-game native fishes.

BA, University of Tulsa; BS Northeastern State University; PhD University of Missouri-Columbia. I am an evolutionary biologist interested in understanding the ecological conditions that influence the evolution of reproductive traits. I am particularly interested in exploring the role of the social environment in shaping selective environments. My current research program uses wolf spiders to examine the evolution of cognitive traits involved in the mating displays and decisions of these spiders.

BS, University of Massachusetts Amherst; PhD. University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio. My research group explores the conserved pathways and mechanisms that regulate fertility in multicellular organisms, primarily through the cellular, molecular, and genetic dissection of the amazing model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

BA, Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota; PhD, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I study nervous system development and function using the zebrafish as a model. I am investigating two related projects: 1. Is there neurotransmitter-receptor plasticity in the zebrafish neuromuscular junction? and 2. What is the role of Cabin1, a calcium-dependent repressor protein, in the development and function of the cerebellum, the site of motor learning and coordination.

BS, Allegheny College; PhD, Purdue University. My interests span evolutionary ecology and conservation biology, particularly in aquatic systems. My research focuses on the evolution of alternative strategies, ecological consequences of predator-prey interactions, and understanding the distribution and restoration of biodiversity.

BS, PhD, University of South Florida. My lab’s research is primarily focused on understanding how transcription factors mediate development, function, and disease. The principal focus is on the transcription factor, Glis3 and its role in the development and maintenance of the endocrine pancreas and the pathogenesis of diabetes.

BS, Beloit College; MS, Southern Illinois University Carbondale. I am a research technician studying ecological responses to riparian wetland restoration. My past research has focused on macroinvertebrate community responses to disturbance in a hydrologically altered river, native mussel populations and life history, and building a cDNA library for a marine polychaete worm.

BS, University of Georgia, MS, Utah State University, PhD, Utah State University (wildlife biology) (2001). Indiana Department of Natural Resources, State Deer Research Biologist.

BS, Benedictine University, Illinois; MBA, North Texas State University, Denton, TX; MS, PhD, Northern Illinois University. I study molecular plant systematics and population genetics, biogeography, conservation of rare and endangered species as well as the biology of invasive plant species.