Jim Cooper
Postdoctoral Research Associate
wjcooper@syr.edu

My long-term goal is to be able to understand how changes in the genetic controls of morphogenesis have promoted adaptive radiations in the functional morphology of fish feeding. I use comparative techniques such asphylogenetics, morphometrics, biomechanics, and kinematics in order to identify morphological characters that have been of particular importance during trophic diversification, and once identified, these traits are then targeted for genetic and developmental investigation. My primary study groups are the marine damselfishes, the closely related freshwater cichlid fishes, and the experimentally tractable zebrafish, which serves as a useful model for understanding how genotypic changes are related to alterations in the phenotype of the vertebrate skull.

Kevin Parsons
Postdoctoral Research Associate
kjpars01@syr.edu

Environmental effects on development can have important influences on evolution by determining what phenotypic and genetic variation is exposed to natural selection. My research has often involved investigating the role of phenotypic plasticity, the ability of a single genotype to produce more than one phenotype dependent upon environment, in the adaptive divergence of fishes. To tackle this problem I have used polymorphic populations of pumpkinseed sunfish and Arctic charr and taken a comprehensive approach that assesses changes in their behaviour and morphology over ontogeny and environments. I have also investigated the quantitative genetic basis of these changes, including the genetic basis of plasticity itself. Phenotypic plasticity is an inherently developmental process and so my experience extends naturally to my current position in the Albertson lab. Currently I’m investigating the morphogenesis of craniofacial elements in cichlids and zebrafish.

Frances Brzozowski
PhD Graduate Student
fjbrzozo@syr.edu

Using cichlids as a model species we are hoping to further explain trends in evolution. I am currently working to characterize the genetic basis of color variation among Lake Malawi cichlid species. We have crossed Labeotropheus fuelleborni with Tropheops red cheek to produce F1s. We are currently in the process of growing out +750 F2 fishes from this cross. Preliminary analyses indicate that while many color traits are egregating in complex ways, others have a relatively simple genetic basis (i.e., one gene). My research is concerned with characterizing the full spectrum of this variation using QTL analysis.

Nicole Jacobs
PhD Graduate Student
nljacobs@syr.edu

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) is a lateral curvature of the spine that can occur in children age 10 to maturity. AIS can lead to back pain, and in more severe cases, the spine can put pressure on internal organs. Currently, there is no concrete cause of scoliosis, but it seems the cause is multifactorial. The etiology is thought to be the result of complex genetic, and possibly environmental, interactions. My research initiative is to study spine development and defects in spinal growth, specifically curvature of the spine, using the zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model system.

Karen Adams
Undergraduate Student

I am a senior pursuing a degree in biology. My honors thesis is
focusing on the roles of fgf8, retinoic acid, and wnt signaling in
craniofacial laterality..

Young Son
Undergraduate Student

I am a junior at Syracuse University majoring in
Biology/Pre-Dentistry. My main interest in the lab is the study of
craniofacial bone development of zebrafish. Through the use of
geometric morphometrics, I hope to learn more about shape variability
and defects found in the craniofacial skeleton of zebrafish.

Thomas Stewart (class of 2009)
Tom was the winner of the Department of Biology’s Lundgren Award for outstanding scholarship and research. His undergraduate honors thesis was entitled, “Evolution of Craniofacial Architecture and Lateralization in Perissodini Scale-Eaters.” Tom is presently in the PhD program in the department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy at the University of Chicago.

Alyssa McIntyre (class of 2009)
Alyssa’s undergraduate honor’s thesis was entitled, “The Evolution of Skull Form and Function Among the East African Cichlids of Lakes Malawi, Victoria, and Tanganyika.” She is currently attending  the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine.

Bianca Williams (class of 2008)
Bianca’s undergraduate honor’s thesis was, “Asymmetric Jaw Morphology in an Herbivorous Cichlid from Lake Malawi.” She is attending the New York University College of Dentistry.

Julie Adams (class of 2008)
Julie was the winner of the Department of Biology’s Lundgren Award for outstanding scholarship and research. Her honor’s thesis was entitled, “The Role of Fibroblast Growth Factor 20a in the Craniofacial Development of Zebrafish.” She is currently at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine.