People
| I
am fascinated by the evolution of gender differences.
My
research has examined both theoretical and empirical aspects
of sex determination, sexual differentiation, and reproductive
biology. I have used diverse vertebrates as model organisms and
embrace the comparative method in biology. The most recent application
of this methodology is seen in the burgeoning
field of comparative genomics. My current research focuses on experiments designed to identify evolutionarily conserved, as well as unique, genes involved in sex determination in vertebrates. Additional experiments will test the hypothesis that synthetic chemicals act as endocrine disruptors to alter the expression of these key developmental genes and produce abnormalities in the structure and/or function of the gonads. |
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Lab students (from left to right): Tiffany Youngquist, Tony Schroeder, Dr. Turk Rhen, Stephanie Lee, & Rikki Woodward
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