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Faculty
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Brian Darby
Soils are filled with an incredible diversity of life; many of the animals are too small to be seen with the naked eye but are important for ecosystem functioning nonetheless. Dr. Darby's research seeks to understand the ecology of these soil organisms, what genes and genome aspects are important for their life underground, and how they influence soil and ecosystem processes. Research projects are at the intersection of ecology and genomics and include field, laboratory, microscopy, molecular, genomic, and computational approaches
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Diane Darland
Dr Darland's current research addresses the influence of heterotypic cell-cell interactions during central nervous system development. Her work is designed to test the hypothesis that neurovascular interactions stabilize the vasculature during development and under pathologic conditions. She is also investigating the role of a traditionally vascular factor, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on the regulation of neurogenesis. she is currently conducting these studies in vitro multi-cell type coculture approaches and in vivo system using transgenic mice. |
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Tristan Darland
I am interested in finding new genes, or new functions of known genes, involved in diverse biological processes ranging from neurodevelopment and neural stem cell regulation to addiction related behavior. I use zebrafish because the genetic analysis possible is amenable to find new candidate genes and is not currently possible in other vertebrates. |
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Albert Fivizzani (Emeritus)
Dr. Fivizzani's research centers on the influence of hormones affecting behavior during different times of the life history of vertebrates. Hormone exposure during embryonic development influences future behavior of an organism via influences on sex determination and differentiation of the nervous system. These developmental influences allow for appropriate responses to hormones as adults. |
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Peter Meberg
Neuroscience research in Dr. Meberg's laboratory is generally in the area of neural plasticity. He currently is studying cytoskeletal regulation of processes such as dendritic spine formation, growth cone motility, and seizure-induced axon sprouting. Cell and molecular techniques are applied to both neuronal cultures and rat models of disease. |
Robert Newman
Dr. Newman's primary research interest is in the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of populations in variable environments. His current focus is on population and metapopulation dynamics, population genetics, and life history evolution of amphibians. |
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| Igor Ovchinnikov
Dr. Ovchinnikov's research interests include population and medical genetics of modern humans, the evolution of extinct hominins, forensic and ancient DNA. His laboratory is dedicated to the analysis of minute traces of degraded and damaged DNA for forensic, historical and evolutionary projects. The entire lab space has positive air flow pressure that limits the possibility of contaminants entering the laboratory, and the HEPA air filtration system to remove airborne microparticles. In his laboratory students have an opportunity to isolate DNA from bones, teeth, hair, feathers, archival samples of bodily fluids and museum specimens, and study the genetic record of the past and present.
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Steven Ralph
Research projects in Dr. Ralph's lab focus on understanding interactions between forest trees and insect pests and consist of laboratory, greenhouse and field work. A broad range of techniques are employed in the lab including microarray transcript profiling, quantitative real-time PCR, biochemical assays for protein characterization, RNA interference to modulate gene expression, and bioassays for insect performance. Students will have an opportunity to conduct research that spans multiple disciplines including plant genomics, molecular biology, biochemistry, forest tree biology and ecology. |
Turk Rhen
Dr. Rhen's research interests include the evolution and development of gender. He examines both theoretical and empirical aspects of sex determination, sexual differentiation, and reproductive biology in vertebrates. |
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Bill Sheridan
Dr. Sheridan's research focus is to investigate the identity and function of genes in plant development. He employs genetic, morphological, structural, and molecular techniques to identify gene function using mutational analysis in maize.
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Vasyl Tkach
Dr. Tkach's research interests include molecular and traditional systematics, ultrastructure, host specificity and geographic distribution of helminths of wild animals, and life cycles of parasitic worms and their circulation in nature. |
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Jefferson Vaughan
Dr. Vaughn's primary research interests are with the various insects and ticks that can transmit disease organisms to humans, livestock and wildlife. Specific interests center on the acquisition and maintenance of pathogenic organisms by vector arthropods and the effects that host blood components can exert on vector arthropods and the pathogens developing within them. |
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