Faculty Research Interests
Rebecca Dolan, Ph.D. (Director, Friesner
Herbarium) - I am interested in the biology and natural
history of Indiana plants. I manage the 100,000 specimen Friesner
Herbarium, a collection of pressed and dried plant specimens that
serve as a reference for study of the Indiana flora. I am working
with a group of botanists throughout the state to computerize our
specimen records and to produce an atlas of plant distributions. In
addition, I am conducting field and laboratory studies of rare
native plants. Goals of the study are to use data from demographic
and genetic studies to determine the health of remnant populations
and to develop management strategies for their conservation. I am
also involved with a group studying the success of a massive
prairie restoration The Nature Conservancy is undertaking in
northwestern Indiana. I seek student involvement in database
management, herbarium operations, field checks of plant
occurrences, and genetic studies using starch gel electrophoresis
of isozymes.
Thomas E. Dolan, Ph.D. - My students and I
focus on the population biology of species in the genus
Saprolegnia, a fungus-like protist that is classified in
the new kingdom Stramenopila. Using both classical isozyme studies
and molecular techniques, we examine genetic variation in natural
pond populations and determine the relative importance of sexual
and asexual reproduction in the life history of this common
saprophyte. Projects can be tailored for students wishing to work
in the field, the lab, or a bit of both.
Shelley Etnier, Ph.D. - My research is in the
field of biomechanics. I am particularly interested in the
consequences of flexibility in biological structures. I have
investigated flexibility in organisms such as coral reef
invertebrates, garden plants, and marine mammals and plan to
continue this research in the future. More broadly, I am interested
in the interaction between form and function in both plants and
animals. Students interested in the material (how strong is spider
web?) or structural (why do daffodils twist easily?) properties of
local organisms are welcome to my lab.
Nathanael R. Hauck, Ph.D. - In general, I'm
interested in studying the 'hows', 'whens', 'wheres' and 'whys' of
genome rearrangement. Of special interest to me are transposable
elements (TEs), which are mobile genetic elements that play a major
role in genome reorganization and the creation of new genetic
variability. Many TEs are 'activated' in times of stress (either
external or internal), thus providing a mechanism for increasing
the mutation rate when organisms are most 'in need' of novel
variability. I am interested in further investigating the effects
of stress (esp. heat, salt, drought and pathogens) on transposition
frequency in a wide range of species. Currently, I am examining the
frequency of transposition in diploid sweet cherry vs. tetraploid
sour cherry, with the prediction that transposition will be more
common in tetraploids due to genetic redundancy and reduced
selection against transposon activity.
Christopher Hess, Ph.D. - My research rides the
fence between molecular genetics and organismal biology and centers
around understanding how animals adapt to their environment. On a
given day, students in my lab might be using the polymerase chain
reaction (PCR) to examine patterns of disease resistance in genes
of the immune system, while the next might be out in the field
looking at patterns of song variation and feather coloration to
examine how they relate to female mate choice. My current research
happens to focus on bird models, as I am exploring rapid evolution
of the genes of the major histocompatability complex in house
finches and variation in responses to global climate change and
human disturbance between subspecies of white-crowned sparrows.
However, I believe my science to be question-driven rather than
taxa-driven and I happily welcome students interested in either
laboratory or field projects in any organism that explores
interesting examples of evolutionary responses to their
environments.
Jennifer R. Kowalski, Ph.D. - My research
focuses on understanding the molecular processes that control the
ability of neurons to communicate with one another at specialized
cellular junctions called synapses (synaptic transmission). The
abundance of synaptic proteins impacts the strength of synaptic
transmission, which changes during processes such as learning and
memory. A highly conserved enzymatic pathway, called the ubiquitin
signaling system, is used by neurons and other cells to control
protein abundance and activity. My work utilizes the model
roundworm C. elegans as a genetic system in which to
identify and characterize ubiquitin pathway enzymes and their
substrates that regulate synaptic transmission. To do this, I
employ a combination of genetic, biochemical, cell biological, and
behavioral approaches. Since there is significant conservation of
neuronal proteins between C. elegans and humans, these
studies may also provide insight into how synaptic transmission is
controlled in the human nervous system. Numerous student projects
related to this work are available, and I welcome students
interested in these or related questions.
Michael S. Maloney, Ph.D. - My research
interest is in the cellular control mechanisms and biochemistry of
the regeneration of a new feeding apparatus (oral regeneration) in
the ciliated protozoan, Stentor coeruleus. Most of my
recent work involves the biochemistry of the cytoskeleton of
Stentor, which is related to oral regeneration. This
involves the preparation of cytoskeletal residues from
Stentor devoid of membranes and cytoplasm so that their
protein composition can be examined by gel electrophoresis. Using
antibodies to these proteins, I also use immunocytochemistry at the
light microscope level to detect where in the cell these proteins
are located. Several of the proteins we've identified here are
calcium-binding proteins so I have a strong interest in
calcium-binding proteins in ciliates also. Finally, I have carried
out numerous experiments with other ciliates, examining their
cytoskeletons as well.
Travis J. Ryan, Ph.D. - I operate in the broad
fields of ecology and conservation biology. Most of my research is
with amphibians (particularly salamanders) and reptiles, although I
am generally interested in organisms that use both aquatic and
terrestrial habitats during their life cycles. I am not bound to a
particular research methodology; my collaborators - including
several undergraduate students - and I have conducted descriptive
field projects, reductionist laboratory-based experiments, and
semi-natural experiments. Moreover, we are not tied to a narrow
focus. Our past research includes work on basic natural history of
rare salamanders of the Appalachian region, microbial communities
on salamander skin, timing of metamorphosis (or the thereof!) in
amphibians, evaporative water loss in snakes, and patterns of life
history evolution in lungless salamanders. In the next few years,
my research will focus on the urban ecology of turtles and other
aquatic and semi-aquatic vertebrates and the effects of pesticide
exposure on the behavior, physiology, and life history of tadpoles.
Students interested in research in my lab are welcome to join
existing research efforts or to develop new projects.
Carmen M. Salsbury, Ph.D. - My research
interests are in the areas of behavioral and physiological ecology.
Mammals have served as my primary study subjects over the years and
I have a specific interest in the ecology of ground-dwelling
squirrels. I have worked on the reproductive behavior and
physiology of yellow-bellied marmots and I most recently focused on
patterns of hibernation in woodchucks. In the future, I plan to
continue studying marmots with a specific objective of elucidating
the hormonal aspects of reproductive suppression among females.
Currently, I am investigating the vocal behavior and distribution
patterns of tree squirrels inhabiting an urban landscape. Further,
I am very interested in beginning studies on the vocal behavior of
Eastern gray tree squirrels. I have worked over the years with many
students on a variety of projects centered in behavioral ecology
and I welcome any students interested in seeking research
experience in the field or the lab setting.
Katherine M. Schmid, Ph.D. - I specialize in
plant lipid biochemistry and molecular biology. Vegetable oil isn't
just for frying and salad dressing. It's already used in products
from cosmetics to airplane parts, and is expected to become
increasingly important as fossil fuel supplies dwindle. One
approach to the development of new industrial oils has been to
study how plants make and correctly store unusual fatty acids. I am
particularly interested in the synthesis and genetic engineering of
fatty acids containing three-membered rings. Student projects in my
lab have involved analytical (gas chromatography, thin layer
chromatography), molecular (DNA isolation, cloning strategies,
electrophoresis) and sterile (bacteria, tissue culture)
techniques.
James L. Shellhaas, Ph.D. - My research focus
is on various aspects of the host-parasite relationship. Utilizing
both cell culture and murine model systems, the influence of
various bacterial pathogenic mechanisms on macrophage/monocyte and
polymorphonuclear neutrophil functions are examined. On the
immunological side of the relationship, my laboratory examines
various aspects of lymphocyte cytotoxicity. Of particular interest
is the role of different cytokines on various cytotoxic mechanisms,
particularly apoptosis, that have been shown to be involved in the
destruction of foreign cells.
Philip J. Villani, Ph.D. - My major research
area of interest is plant developmental biology, where I
investigate the morphogenesis of leaves. My students and I conduct
descriptive studies of developing leaves using scanning electron
and light microscopy, we analyze the genetic regulation of leaf
development by investigating mutations in genes that affect leaf
form, we conduct manipulative studies on developing leaves in
tissue culture using hormones and hormone transport inhibitors, and
we characterize the expression of genes believed to be involved in
leaf formation by using molecular techniques. The two major
organisms I work with are garden pea (Pisum sativum),a
model system for compound leaf development, and Bryophyllum
calycinum, a plant with an interesting asexual reproductive
mechanism involving leaves. I welcome any student interested in
working on exciting projects and gaining research experience.