Orange Alert

Faculty Research

Lab shelf full of bottles

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.