Graduate Programs

The Department of Biological Sciences offers a Master of Science (MS) in Biology. This graduate program is designed to allow students, with the guidance of their advisors, to mold and focus their program of study on professional interests and specific needs. Our students draw from a broad range of graduate courses and select from a diverse and well-trained group of faculty for direction in research.

Graduate Faculty and Their Research Interests

As an interdisciplinary department with roots in an array of research fields, faculty research programs can be organized into clusters that span several biological disciplines. Based on expertise and research focus, faculty may be associated with one or more clusters indicated below.

Biology Education

Bethann Lavoie - Science Education: professional development, assessment, diverse cultures and problem solving

Brittany Smith - biology education

Biomedical Science and Physiology

Rachel Cohen - neural and endocrine regulation of reproduction and reproductive behavior

Geoffrey Goellner - polyglutamine proteins and neurodegenerative disease

Kennan Hartert - genomics; personalized lymphoma therapeutics

Samantha Katner (Biochemistry) - investigating proteoglycan-targeted therapies and regulation of glypicans in both hepatocellular carcinoma and glioblastoma cells

Allison Land - innate immunity to viral infections, host-pathogen interactions, and potential sequelae to infection

Micheal Minicozzi - ecotoxicology of freshwater pollutants 

Cecilia Noecker - genomics and ecology of mammalian gut microbes

David Sharlin - developmental biology, thyroid hormone action, brain development, cochlear development (hearing)

Cell and Molecular Biology

Rachel Cohen - neural and endocrine regulation of reproduction and reproductive behavior

Geoffrey Goellner - polyglutamine proteins and neurodegenerative disease

Keenan Hartert - genomics; personalized lymphoma therapeutics

Samantha Katner (Biochemsitry) - investigating proteoglycan-targeted therapies and regulation of glypicans in both hepatocellular carcinoma and glioblastoma cells

Allison Land - innate immunity to viral infections, host-pathogen interactions, and potential sequelae to infection

Cecilia Noecker - genomics and ecology of mammalian gut microbes

Timothy Secott - molecular mechanisms used by mycobacteria to initiate and establish intestinal infections in mammals

David Sharlin - developmental biology, thyroid hormone action, brain development, cochlear development (hearing)

Daniel Toma - behavioral genetics

Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology

Rachel Cohen - neural and endocrine regulation of reproduction and reproductive behavior in lizards

Susan Colvin - Ecology of aquatic ecosystems especially headwaters and fish assemblages including imperiled species

Mriganka De - soil ecology and soil health; soil biogeochemistry; water quality; sustainable agroecosystems

Matthew Kaproth - plant functional trait adaptation, stress tolerance, species conservation, invasive species

Micheal Minicozzi - Functional morphology and comparative anatomy in fishes

Christopher Ruhland - effects of global climate change on Antarctic ecosystems and the effects of UV light on plant production

Daniel Toma - behavioral genetics

Ryan Wersal - plant ecology and lake ecology for aquatic plant management and methods of treatment

Microbiology, Immunology, and Food Science

Allison Land - innate immunity to viral infections, host-pathogen interactions, and potential sequelae to infection

Cecilia Noecker - genomics and ecology of mammalian gut microbes

Timothy Secott - molecular mechanisms used by mycobacteria to initiate and establish intestinal infections in mammals

 

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