Graduate Program Faculty

Expertise Areas: Ecology and Evolution

Expertise Areas: Chemical Ecology, Behavioral Ecology

Expertise Areas: The main interests in our lab revolve around understanding the functions of the enzyme glycogen synthase kinase-3 (Gsk-3) isoforms. We are utilizing a systems biology approach to understanding Gsk-3 function in maintaining pluripotency of embryonic stem cells. We have recently identified a role for Gsk-3 in regulating the methylation of mRNA. This modification, referred to as m6A, affects many aspects of RNA biology, including regulating the stability of mRNA and the translational efficiency. We are currently investigating the mechanisms underlying these effects, and their implications on the biology of stem cells.

Expertise Areas: Primary areas of study include environmental microbiology; microbial ecology; microbial physiology; chemical detoxification; remediation; see Roanemicrobiology.weebly.com for more information. Other areas of interest include qualitative evaluation; collective impact; identity and representation within STEM; and cross-cultural communication.

Expertise Areas: The evolution, ecology, and population biology of bird-dispersed pines and their corvid dispersers; and, the conservation and restoration of five-needle white pines in western North America.

Expertise Areas: Endocrine Disruption Environmental Toxicology Ecological Developmental Biology

Expertise Areas: I study animal population biology with a special interest in migratory systems. Migratory systems are useful models because conditions experienced at one place and time influence dynamics observed in distant locations; these are systems that link the biology and health of continents. My long-term goal is to understand factors regulating population demography and geographic range distributions, so that we can predict responses to disease epidemics and changes in climate, environmental health, and human land use. I combine fieldwork, lab work and modeling to study these systems and have developed novel statistical tools for determining dietary and geographic histories from chemical and molecular compositions of animal tissues.