I am interested in how the evolution of ornaments conflicts with locomotor performance and fitness using stalk-eyed flies as a model system. To test for flight biomechanical costs associated with the elongated eye stalks, I film escape performance of flies in simulated predator attacks using high-speed videography.
M.S. Program • 2022 • Rebecca Hufft, Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: I am interested in using Terrestrial Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) data collected in burn scars on public lands to determine if current land management decisions are efficient in restoration efforts post- wildfire.
Expertise Areas: Since graduating with my PhD in behavioral neuroendocrinology in 1998, I have held post-doctoral appointments in several labs in several disciplines - at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy I worked on the molecular mechanisms regulating DNA replication and cell-cycle arrest; in the Division of Endocrinology at the CU Health Sciences Center, I worked on coactivators and corepressors of the progesterone receptor and their role in the regulation of breast cancer. I held a National Research Council postdoctoral research position working with the USGS on the seasonal effects of endocrine disrupters and most recently worked at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics looking at the association between behavioral disorders and genes for several neurotransmitter-associated proteins. Although I am still very interested in the interaction between environmental endocrine disrupters and seasonal reproduction and the genetic and endocrine basis of behavior, since 2002 most of my professional time has been devoted to teaching. I am fascinated by the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie behavior and physiology and thoroughly enjoy sharing that interest with students in anatomy, physiology, and exercise physiology.
Expertise Areas: Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology Education & Degrees DDS - University of Missouri in Kansas City MBA - Baker University, Baldwin City, KS BA - Creighton University, Omaha, NE Bio BBB Selected Publications PPP Courses Taught Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology
Expertise Areas: Dr. Bruederle's research interests include the evolution of species rich genera such as Carex (Cyperaceae), which comprises approximately 2000 species worldwide. He is interested specifically in the evolutionary mechanisms that facilitate speciation in this large genus. Additional interests include: plant systematics at and below the level of genus, population genetics and endemism, conservation genetics, and biogeography. He is also interested in the implementation, institutionalization, and assessment of undergraduate research.
Interests: Julie is a doctoral research fellow with the National Science Foundation. Her research interests are interdisciplinary in the fields of ecology literacy, environmental education, and ethnographic research. Through studying the intersections of ecological systems, environmental education, and socio-historical equity, she creates culturally inclusive pedagogy and equitable evaluation practices. She has extensive background experience in designing, managing, and evaluating formal and informal K-12 science education programs, as well as conducting...
Interests: I am broadly interested in understanding how plant communities respond to and interact with disturbance in forested ecosystems and how changing plant communities influence biogeochemistry, biogeography, and energy balances. Currently, I am pursuing these interests in the temperate coastal rainforest of Southeast Alaska. Please visit my professional website for more information, https://www.trevoracarter.com/
Gabrielle’s research interests include urban ecology and native wildflowers of Colorado. She is especially interested in the resiliency of native plants in the face of climate change and urbanization.
Interest: I'm interested in urban raptor ecology and the urban wildlife information network. Please visit my professional website for more information. https://www.alyssadavidge.com/
Interests: Demographics, Species Distribution Modeling, Population Genetics, Plant Conservation. The study of applied plant conservation. I conduct field research on plant population dynamics and model species distributions, population level genetic structure, and response to climate change.
Research interest: My research focuses on developing computational methods to enhance the quality of NMR data and using NMR techniques to investigate how proteins interact with RNA.
Expertise Areas: First year Experience/Success of STEM students and Health Professions Advising Education & Degrees PhD., Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, 1996 M.A., Neurophysiology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1987 B.A., Biology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1985 Bio Dr. Ferguson has been on the faculty at the University of Colorado Denver since 1985 and teaches in the Dept. of Integrative Biology. He has been nationally recognized for excellence in teaching and...
Interests: include restoration ecology, seed-based conservation, and plant ecology. Her PhD dissertation is on the ‘Implications of Local Adaptation on Seed Sourcing for North American Prairie Restoration Under Climate Change’. She conducts field, greenhouse, and genetic research on prairie restoration at Denver Botanic Gardens York St. and Chatfield Farms.
Ph.D. • 2018 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: Desert zombies, mata vendados, spawns of satan, and madre de alacranes are all colloquial names for camel spiders. Camel spiders, in the arachnid order Solifugae, are an interesting and perplexing group of arachnids distributed on all continents except Antarctica and Australia. Erika Garcia is a doctoral student based at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science working with Dr. Paula Cushing on camel spiders within the family Eremobatidae...
M.S. Program • Ackerfield, Bruederle and Ragland Lab
Department of Integrative Biology
Interest: Tiffany is a first-year master’s student and botanist advised by Dr. Jennifer Ackerfield, Dr. Leo Bruederle, and Dr. Greg Ragland. She is interested in the processes of evolution and speciation at a molecular level. Tiffany’s research involves examining the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Eutrema , specifically through the lens of chromosome duplication. She is exploring how this phenomenon contributes to within-genus diversification and distribution. Tiffany will be applying...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My science education research interests are concerned with assessing and improving how students understand biological concepts and apply scientific principles, especially concepts and principles related to ecology. I work at both the undergraduate and grades 6-12 levels. My approach to this research employs both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods. I enjoy working on large-scale, multi-faceted collaborative projects that seek to answer transformative and often complicated research questions. Thus, some of the projects I work on involve many collaborators from across the country. My goals as a science education researcher are to make discoveries that can be used for improving pedagogy and assessment in undergraduate biology education and for informing the development of national science standards and practices for K-12 education. My ecological research bridges community and ecosystem ecology to explore how plant communities and soils respond to external factors such as intensive herbivory, nutrient inputs, emerging infectious diseases, and climate change. The model system that I work on has shaped and integrated the questions that I pursue. I study the impact of introduced bubonic plague on both urban and rural black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) communities. My field research involves mostly observational studies across space and time gradients. I conduct greenhouse experiments to further explore the mechanisms underlying the broad patterns I observe in the field. Much of my research is situated in and around urban Denver, making it easily accessible to UC Denver student researchers.
Research Interests: I’m a landscape and spatial ecologist, in my 4th-year as a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Colorado Denver. I work in the intersection of paleoecology, landscape ecology, and disturbance ecology, using field, lab, and modeling tools to study how ecosystems change over space and time.
Interests: Fear extinction, stress resilience, exercise, sex differences and estrous cycle effects. My research focuses specifically on the estrous cycle modulation of fear extinction learning and memory.
Ph.D. • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My research adapts genomics tools to answer fundamental questions about the evolution of animal diversity. I focus on the regulatory control of gene expression during vertebrate development. My approach integrates functional and comparative genomics, developmental biology, and phylogenetics. My goal is to understand the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying the evolution of vertebrate morphology.
Research interests include understanding how young adults learn biological concepts using cooperative and phenomena-based approaches and how to best support teacher implementing those strategies.
Ph.D. • 2021 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
I am currently studying evolutionary relationships between camel spiders (solifuges) using phylogenomics and revising taxonomic characters used to name camel spider species. I also am interested in camel spider behavior, specifically how they locate their prey and their use of daytime retreats.
M.S. Program • 2024 • Ackerfield Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Ash Kerber is a first year Master’s student exploring the evolutionary history of rare alpine plants, specifically in the genus Polemonium, using floral scent and genetics. She plans to demonstrate how diverse alpine angiosperm adaptions can be, especially those that humans cannot see. Denver Botanic Gardens Graduate Students
Expertise Areas: Cellular and molecular neurobiology, neuropharmacology, synaptic development, hippocampal biology, general genetics, neuropsychology Education and Degrees Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical School B.S. in Biology from the University of North Dakota Bio My journey into neurobiology began in the gross anatomy cadaver lab at the University of North Dakota. This led me to start pursuing molecular neurobiology, with a specific interest in the cellular...
Expertise Areas: Science Education, Ecology Education & Degrees Ph.D., Integrative and Systems Biology, University of Colorado Denver M.S., Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville B.S., Biology, Saint Louis University Bio I am a biology education researcher who primarily focuses on multicultural science education. I study student science identities and how history, family, and community shape the ways students perceive life experiences and their place in science. Additional biology education interests...
Expertise: Biomolecular NMR, Protein Structure and Function, Integrative Structural Biology, Infectious Disease, AI/ML, Automated NMR Analysis, Integrated Software, Big Data
M.S. Program • 2023 • Greene/Wilson Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
I'm interested in plant-fungal relationships. My thesis project is documenting the diversity of fungi associated with two plants that utilize carbon sourced from fungi.
Areas of Expertise: My content area of expertise and teaching focus are in immunology (and introduction to biology outside of UC, Denver). My interests in science education focus on creating more engaging, active learning approaches that increase equity and inclusion in learning and in the learning community. Currently, I am evaluating the contributions of Flip video assignments through qualitative and quantitative measures. Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is a free, simple video...
My research in behavioral neuroscience examines sex differences in stress resistance factors like exercise. Currently, I am investigating the neural circuits that mediate exercise-induced stress resistance in male and female rodents.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Miller lab develops and uses bioinformatic and genome-enabled approaches to study microbial communities. With the advent of new sequencing technologies, one can sequence billions or trillions of base pairs of DNA for relatively little money. One of the most powerful applications of this new economy is the direct sequencing of microbial DNA and RNA from the environment. The combination of deep sequencing and bioinformatics reveals that even “simple” natural microbial communities are in fact quite complex. The Miller lab is interested in understanding this complexity at a systems level for microbial communities relevant to the environment, bioenergy production, and human health and disease.
PhD • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: Evolutionary ecology, eco-physiology, global change, comparative methods, citizen science Education & Degrees PhD – Case Western Reserve University 2019 MS – Murray State University 2014 BS – Gonzaga University 2011 Bio Dr. Moore studies physiological and developmental limits on evolution. His research with dragonflies and amphibians details why organisms have been able to adapt to some environments but not others. This work also helps us predict the ways...
Interests: I am interested in self-organization and its intersection in social insects (ants) and neuroscience. Both are centerless systems which nonetheless exhibit flexible, directed behavior which arises from their constitutive parts. My research centers on recruitment and warfare in the pavement ant Tetramorium immigrans , a widespread tramp species across Europe and North America.
Research Interest: I am interested in evolutionary ecology, animal behavior, and wildlife conservation through the lens of global change. I am driven to explore how wildfire and extreme events affect wildlife populations. Currently, I am researching how habitats burned by wildfire impact the sexually selected traits of dragonflies.
Expertise Areas: Plant Sciences Education and Degrees Postdoctoral Fellow , Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany PhD. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. MS. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. BA. Biology , Macalester College. Bio I am a plant molecular systematist and evolutionary biologist. I am interested in evolutionary relationships at the border of species and populations and have studied both the pantropical understory shrub genus Psychotria (Rubiaceae) and Hawaiian...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My broad research interests include animal population dynamics and behavioral ecology. Currently, my research focuses on migratory ecology and demography of an inland breeding shorebird of conservation interest, the Mountain Plover. I am interested in how migration strategies vary between individuals across the landscape and how this variation is affected by environment and phenotype. Additionally, how does this variation translate to population level effects on seasonal distribution and population...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Ragland Lab is interested in the process of local adaptation to changing environments, and the mechanisms underlying animal hibernation. Our goal is to understand the mechanisms and targets of natural selection, integrating studies from genomes, to physiology, to whole organism performance. Please refer to the lab website for more information: https://seasonaladaptation.org
Ed.D. • Senior Instructor • Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Integrative Biology
Education & Degrees University of Colorado Denver, Doctor of Education, Leadership for Educational Equity 2014 Walden University, Masters in Public Health, 2008 University of Colorado Denver, Masters of Arts, Biology 2003 University of Colorado Boulder, Bachelor of Arts, Environmental, Populational, Organismal Biology 1995 Courses Taught BIOL 1550&1560: Basic Biology for non-biology majors BIOL 1136: Human Biology BIOL 1111: Biology First Year Seminar BIOL 2010: General Biology II
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of ESIL Certificate • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My interests include topics in microbiology and microbial ecology. I'm currently researching the degradation of 1,4-dioxane, a potentially carcinogenic chemical, by microorganisms at a Colorado landfill. My undergraduate research was focused on microbial fuel cells, a technology to harvest electricity from microorganisms.
Research Interests: Urban and Evolutionary Ecology, specifically how urban ecological and evolutionary processes can be better understood and used to inform environmentally conscious city and land-use management. My thesis work will involve surveys of water quality within City of Denver, and more specifically along the Highline Canal, using aquatic invertebrate and plant diversity as quality indicators.
M.S. Program • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: Center around camel spider (Solifuges) systematics. My focus is in analyzing currently used characters and devising morphometrics that may shed light on a complex group of camel spiders
Interests: My doctoral work is on limber pine at treeline in Rocky Mountain National Park, determining its treeline distribution, variables associated with its occurrence there, and the viability of limber pine seeds produced across high elevations. More broadly, my research interests include remote sensing and GIS applications to landscape ecology and biogeography, and restoration ecology under changing climate.
Audrey Spencer is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate researching the systematics and biogeography of Physocarpus (ninebark), helping elucidate the origins of the flora of the Southern Rockies. She uses genomic tools to tell the biogeographic story of plants with disjunct distributions.
Ph.D. • 2022 • Dr. John Fisk, CU Denver Department of Chemistry
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: I am interested in work to expand the genetic code via incorporation of noncanonical amino acids as well as working on developing a computational model of phage infection in filamentous bacteria for the purposes of modeling phage display and delving deeper into how to reverse bacterial "curing" during a phage infection. To learn more about our research, please visit our lab's website.
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.
Joseph has graduated into the department's PhD Program. Interests: designing a novel way to extract and isolate nascent-RNA in hopes to determine the thermal sensitivity of transcription.
Research Interests: Broadly I am interested in all things related to insects and have a passion for pollinators and how they interact with their environment. My research questions use Drosophila melanogaster to answer questions about developmental plasticity and further our understanding of how insects respond to cold stress.
Interests: My research interest is in nanomedicine, that is, using nano-sized materials in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. I focus on the fabrication of chemiluminescent and fluorescent nanoparticles for use in early detection and image-guided surgery of cancer for clinical use. I also work on the development of therapeutic contact lenses coated with metal chelators for the treatment of corneal diseases.
Areas of Expertise: I use molecular systematics to refine understanding of fungal diversity, and novel phylogenetic tools to test hypotheses regarding their evolution and ecology. I am currently expanding my research into population genetics.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of Graduate Program • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative 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.
I am interested in how the evolution of ornaments conflicts with locomotor performance and fitness using stalk-eyed flies as a model system. To test for flight biomechanical costs associated with the elongated eye stalks, I film escape performance of flies in simulated predator attacks using high-speed videography.
M.S. Program • 2022 • Rebecca Hufft, Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: I am interested in using Terrestrial Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) data collected in burn scars on public lands to determine if current land management decisions are efficient in restoration efforts post- wildfire.
Expertise Areas: Since graduating with my PhD in behavioral neuroendocrinology in 1998, I have held post-doctoral appointments in several labs in several disciplines - at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy I worked on the molecular mechanisms regulating DNA replication and cell-cycle arrest; in the Division of Endocrinology at the CU Health Sciences Center, I worked on coactivators and corepressors of the progesterone receptor and their role in the regulation of breast cancer. I held a National Research Council postdoctoral research position working with the USGS on the seasonal effects of endocrine disrupters and most recently worked at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics looking at the association between behavioral disorders and genes for several neurotransmitter-associated proteins. Although I am still very interested in the interaction between environmental endocrine disrupters and seasonal reproduction and the genetic and endocrine basis of behavior, since 2002 most of my professional time has been devoted to teaching. I am fascinated by the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie behavior and physiology and thoroughly enjoy sharing that interest with students in anatomy, physiology, and exercise physiology.
Expertise Areas: Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology Education & Degrees DDS - University of Missouri in Kansas City MBA - Baker University, Baldwin City, KS BA - Creighton University, Omaha, NE Bio BBB Selected Publications PPP Courses Taught Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology
Expertise Areas: Dr. Bruederle's research interests include the evolution of species rich genera such as Carex (Cyperaceae), which comprises approximately 2000 species worldwide. He is interested specifically in the evolutionary mechanisms that facilitate speciation in this large genus. Additional interests include: plant systematics at and below the level of genus, population genetics and endemism, conservation genetics, and biogeography. He is also interested in the implementation, institutionalization, and assessment of undergraduate research.
Interests: Julie is a doctoral research fellow with the National Science Foundation. Her research interests are interdisciplinary in the fields of ecology literacy, environmental education, and ethnographic research. Through studying the intersections of ecological systems, environmental education, and socio-historical equity, she creates culturally inclusive pedagogy and equitable evaluation practices. She has extensive background experience in designing, managing, and evaluating formal and informal K-12 science education programs, as well as conducting...
Interests: I am broadly interested in understanding how plant communities respond to and interact with disturbance in forested ecosystems and how changing plant communities influence biogeochemistry, biogeography, and energy balances. Currently, I am pursuing these interests in the temperate coastal rainforest of Southeast Alaska. Please visit my professional website for more information, https://www.trevoracarter.com/
Gabrielle’s research interests include urban ecology and native wildflowers of Colorado. She is especially interested in the resiliency of native plants in the face of climate change and urbanization.
Interest: I'm interested in urban raptor ecology and the urban wildlife information network. Please visit my professional website for more information. https://www.alyssadavidge.com/
Interests: Demographics, Species Distribution Modeling, Population Genetics, Plant Conservation. The study of applied plant conservation. I conduct field research on plant population dynamics and model species distributions, population level genetic structure, and response to climate change.
Research interest: My research focuses on developing computational methods to enhance the quality of NMR data and using NMR techniques to investigate how proteins interact with RNA.
Expertise Areas: First year Experience/Success of STEM students and Health Professions Advising Education & Degrees PhD., Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, 1996 M.A., Neurophysiology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1987 B.A., Biology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1985 Bio Dr. Ferguson has been on the faculty at the University of Colorado Denver since 1985 and teaches in the Dept. of Integrative Biology. He has been nationally recognized for excellence in teaching and...
Interests: include restoration ecology, seed-based conservation, and plant ecology. Her PhD dissertation is on the ‘Implications of Local Adaptation on Seed Sourcing for North American Prairie Restoration Under Climate Change’. She conducts field, greenhouse, and genetic research on prairie restoration at Denver Botanic Gardens York St. and Chatfield Farms.
Ph.D. • 2018 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: Desert zombies, mata vendados, spawns of satan, and madre de alacranes are all colloquial names for camel spiders. Camel spiders, in the arachnid order Solifugae, are an interesting and perplexing group of arachnids distributed on all continents except Antarctica and Australia. Erika Garcia is a doctoral student based at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science working with Dr. Paula Cushing on camel spiders within the family Eremobatidae...
M.S. Program • Ackerfield, Bruederle and Ragland Lab
Department of Integrative Biology
Interest: Tiffany is a first-year master’s student and botanist advised by Dr. Jennifer Ackerfield, Dr. Leo Bruederle, and Dr. Greg Ragland. She is interested in the processes of evolution and speciation at a molecular level. Tiffany’s research involves examining the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Eutrema , specifically through the lens of chromosome duplication. She is exploring how this phenomenon contributes to within-genus diversification and distribution. Tiffany will be applying...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My science education research interests are concerned with assessing and improving how students understand biological concepts and apply scientific principles, especially concepts and principles related to ecology. I work at both the undergraduate and grades 6-12 levels. My approach to this research employs both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods. I enjoy working on large-scale, multi-faceted collaborative projects that seek to answer transformative and often complicated research questions. Thus, some of the projects I work on involve many collaborators from across the country. My goals as a science education researcher are to make discoveries that can be used for improving pedagogy and assessment in undergraduate biology education and for informing the development of national science standards and practices for K-12 education. My ecological research bridges community and ecosystem ecology to explore how plant communities and soils respond to external factors such as intensive herbivory, nutrient inputs, emerging infectious diseases, and climate change. The model system that I work on has shaped and integrated the questions that I pursue. I study the impact of introduced bubonic plague on both urban and rural black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) communities. My field research involves mostly observational studies across space and time gradients. I conduct greenhouse experiments to further explore the mechanisms underlying the broad patterns I observe in the field. Much of my research is situated in and around urban Denver, making it easily accessible to UC Denver student researchers.
Research Interests: I’m a landscape and spatial ecologist, in my 4th-year as a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Colorado Denver. I work in the intersection of paleoecology, landscape ecology, and disturbance ecology, using field, lab, and modeling tools to study how ecosystems change over space and time.
Interests: Fear extinction, stress resilience, exercise, sex differences and estrous cycle effects. My research focuses specifically on the estrous cycle modulation of fear extinction learning and memory.
Ph.D. • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My research adapts genomics tools to answer fundamental questions about the evolution of animal diversity. I focus on the regulatory control of gene expression during vertebrate development. My approach integrates functional and comparative genomics, developmental biology, and phylogenetics. My goal is to understand the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying the evolution of vertebrate morphology.
Research interests include understanding how young adults learn biological concepts using cooperative and phenomena-based approaches and how to best support teacher implementing those strategies.
Ph.D. • 2021 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
I am currently studying evolutionary relationships between camel spiders (solifuges) using phylogenomics and revising taxonomic characters used to name camel spider species. I also am interested in camel spider behavior, specifically how they locate their prey and their use of daytime retreats.
M.S. Program • 2024 • Ackerfield Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Ash Kerber is a first year Master’s student exploring the evolutionary history of rare alpine plants, specifically in the genus Polemonium, using floral scent and genetics. She plans to demonstrate how diverse alpine angiosperm adaptions can be, especially those that humans cannot see. Denver Botanic Gardens Graduate Students
Expertise Areas: Cellular and molecular neurobiology, neuropharmacology, synaptic development, hippocampal biology, general genetics, neuropsychology Education and Degrees Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical School B.S. in Biology from the University of North Dakota Bio My journey into neurobiology began in the gross anatomy cadaver lab at the University of North Dakota. This led me to start pursuing molecular neurobiology, with a specific interest in the cellular...
Expertise Areas: Science Education, Ecology Education & Degrees Ph.D., Integrative and Systems Biology, University of Colorado Denver M.S., Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville B.S., Biology, Saint Louis University Bio I am a biology education researcher who primarily focuses on multicultural science education. I study student science identities and how history, family, and community shape the ways students perceive life experiences and their place in science. Additional biology education interests...
Expertise: Biomolecular NMR, Protein Structure and Function, Integrative Structural Biology, Infectious Disease, AI/ML, Automated NMR Analysis, Integrated Software, Big Data
M.S. Program • 2023 • Greene/Wilson Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
I'm interested in plant-fungal relationships. My thesis project is documenting the diversity of fungi associated with two plants that utilize carbon sourced from fungi.
Areas of Expertise: My content area of expertise and teaching focus are in immunology (and introduction to biology outside of UC, Denver). My interests in science education focus on creating more engaging, active learning approaches that increase equity and inclusion in learning and in the learning community. Currently, I am evaluating the contributions of Flip video assignments through qualitative and quantitative measures. Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is a free, simple video...
My research in behavioral neuroscience examines sex differences in stress resistance factors like exercise. Currently, I am investigating the neural circuits that mediate exercise-induced stress resistance in male and female rodents.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Miller lab develops and uses bioinformatic and genome-enabled approaches to study microbial communities. With the advent of new sequencing technologies, one can sequence billions or trillions of base pairs of DNA for relatively little money. One of the most powerful applications of this new economy is the direct sequencing of microbial DNA and RNA from the environment. The combination of deep sequencing and bioinformatics reveals that even “simple” natural microbial communities are in fact quite complex. The Miller lab is interested in understanding this complexity at a systems level for microbial communities relevant to the environment, bioenergy production, and human health and disease.
PhD • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: Evolutionary ecology, eco-physiology, global change, comparative methods, citizen science Education & Degrees PhD – Case Western Reserve University 2019 MS – Murray State University 2014 BS – Gonzaga University 2011 Bio Dr. Moore studies physiological and developmental limits on evolution. His research with dragonflies and amphibians details why organisms have been able to adapt to some environments but not others. This work also helps us predict the ways...
Interests: I am interested in self-organization and its intersection in social insects (ants) and neuroscience. Both are centerless systems which nonetheless exhibit flexible, directed behavior which arises from their constitutive parts. My research centers on recruitment and warfare in the pavement ant Tetramorium immigrans , a widespread tramp species across Europe and North America.
Research Interest: I am interested in evolutionary ecology, animal behavior, and wildlife conservation through the lens of global change. I am driven to explore how wildfire and extreme events affect wildlife populations. Currently, I am researching how habitats burned by wildfire impact the sexually selected traits of dragonflies.
Expertise Areas: Plant Sciences Education and Degrees Postdoctoral Fellow , Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany PhD. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. MS. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. BA. Biology , Macalester College. Bio I am a plant molecular systematist and evolutionary biologist. I am interested in evolutionary relationships at the border of species and populations and have studied both the pantropical understory shrub genus Psychotria (Rubiaceae) and Hawaiian...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My broad research interests include animal population dynamics and behavioral ecology. Currently, my research focuses on migratory ecology and demography of an inland breeding shorebird of conservation interest, the Mountain Plover. I am interested in how migration strategies vary between individuals across the landscape and how this variation is affected by environment and phenotype. Additionally, how does this variation translate to population level effects on seasonal distribution and population...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Ragland Lab is interested in the process of local adaptation to changing environments, and the mechanisms underlying animal hibernation. Our goal is to understand the mechanisms and targets of natural selection, integrating studies from genomes, to physiology, to whole organism performance. Please refer to the lab website for more information: https://seasonaladaptation.org
Ed.D. • Senior Instructor • Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Integrative Biology
Education & Degrees University of Colorado Denver, Doctor of Education, Leadership for Educational Equity 2014 Walden University, Masters in Public Health, 2008 University of Colorado Denver, Masters of Arts, Biology 2003 University of Colorado Boulder, Bachelor of Arts, Environmental, Populational, Organismal Biology 1995 Courses Taught BIOL 1550&1560: Basic Biology for non-biology majors BIOL 1136: Human Biology BIOL 1111: Biology First Year Seminar BIOL 2010: General Biology II
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of ESIL Certificate • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My interests include topics in microbiology and microbial ecology. I'm currently researching the degradation of 1,4-dioxane, a potentially carcinogenic chemical, by microorganisms at a Colorado landfill. My undergraduate research was focused on microbial fuel cells, a technology to harvest electricity from microorganisms.
Research Interests: Urban and Evolutionary Ecology, specifically how urban ecological and evolutionary processes can be better understood and used to inform environmentally conscious city and land-use management. My thesis work will involve surveys of water quality within City of Denver, and more specifically along the Highline Canal, using aquatic invertebrate and plant diversity as quality indicators.
M.S. Program • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: Center around camel spider (Solifuges) systematics. My focus is in analyzing currently used characters and devising morphometrics that may shed light on a complex group of camel spiders
Interests: My doctoral work is on limber pine at treeline in Rocky Mountain National Park, determining its treeline distribution, variables associated with its occurrence there, and the viability of limber pine seeds produced across high elevations. More broadly, my research interests include remote sensing and GIS applications to landscape ecology and biogeography, and restoration ecology under changing climate.
Audrey Spencer is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate researching the systematics and biogeography of Physocarpus (ninebark), helping elucidate the origins of the flora of the Southern Rockies. She uses genomic tools to tell the biogeographic story of plants with disjunct distributions.
Ph.D. • 2022 • Dr. John Fisk, CU Denver Department of Chemistry
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: I am interested in work to expand the genetic code via incorporation of noncanonical amino acids as well as working on developing a computational model of phage infection in filamentous bacteria for the purposes of modeling phage display and delving deeper into how to reverse bacterial "curing" during a phage infection. To learn more about our research, please visit our lab's website.
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.
Joseph has graduated into the department's PhD Program. Interests: designing a novel way to extract and isolate nascent-RNA in hopes to determine the thermal sensitivity of transcription.
Research Interests: Broadly I am interested in all things related to insects and have a passion for pollinators and how they interact with their environment. My research questions use Drosophila melanogaster to answer questions about developmental plasticity and further our understanding of how insects respond to cold stress.
Interests: My research interest is in nanomedicine, that is, using nano-sized materials in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. I focus on the fabrication of chemiluminescent and fluorescent nanoparticles for use in early detection and image-guided surgery of cancer for clinical use. I also work on the development of therapeutic contact lenses coated with metal chelators for the treatment of corneal diseases.
Areas of Expertise: I use molecular systematics to refine understanding of fungal diversity, and novel phylogenetic tools to test hypotheses regarding their evolution and ecology. I am currently expanding my research into population genetics.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of Graduate Program • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative 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.
I am interested in how the evolution of ornaments conflicts with locomotor performance and fitness using stalk-eyed flies as a model system. To test for flight biomechanical costs associated with the elongated eye stalks, I film escape performance of flies in simulated predator attacks using high-speed videography.
M.S. Program • 2022 • Rebecca Hufft, Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: I am interested in using Terrestrial Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) data collected in burn scars on public lands to determine if current land management decisions are efficient in restoration efforts post- wildfire.
Expertise Areas: Since graduating with my PhD in behavioral neuroendocrinology in 1998, I have held post-doctoral appointments in several labs in several disciplines - at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy I worked on the molecular mechanisms regulating DNA replication and cell-cycle arrest; in the Division of Endocrinology at the CU Health Sciences Center, I worked on coactivators and corepressors of the progesterone receptor and their role in the regulation of breast cancer. I held a National Research Council postdoctoral research position working with the USGS on the seasonal effects of endocrine disrupters and most recently worked at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics looking at the association between behavioral disorders and genes for several neurotransmitter-associated proteins. Although I am still very interested in the interaction between environmental endocrine disrupters and seasonal reproduction and the genetic and endocrine basis of behavior, since 2002 most of my professional time has been devoted to teaching. I am fascinated by the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie behavior and physiology and thoroughly enjoy sharing that interest with students in anatomy, physiology, and exercise physiology.
Expertise Areas: Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology Education & Degrees DDS - University of Missouri in Kansas City MBA - Baker University, Baldwin City, KS BA - Creighton University, Omaha, NE Bio BBB Selected Publications PPP Courses Taught Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology
Expertise Areas: Dr. Bruederle's research interests include the evolution of species rich genera such as Carex (Cyperaceae), which comprises approximately 2000 species worldwide. He is interested specifically in the evolutionary mechanisms that facilitate speciation in this large genus. Additional interests include: plant systematics at and below the level of genus, population genetics and endemism, conservation genetics, and biogeography. He is also interested in the implementation, institutionalization, and assessment of undergraduate research.
Interests: Julie is a doctoral research fellow with the National Science Foundation. Her research interests are interdisciplinary in the fields of ecology literacy, environmental education, and ethnographic research. Through studying the intersections of ecological systems, environmental education, and socio-historical equity, she creates culturally inclusive pedagogy and equitable evaluation practices. She has extensive background experience in designing, managing, and evaluating formal and informal K-12 science education programs, as well as conducting...
Interests: I am broadly interested in understanding how plant communities respond to and interact with disturbance in forested ecosystems and how changing plant communities influence biogeochemistry, biogeography, and energy balances. Currently, I am pursuing these interests in the temperate coastal rainforest of Southeast Alaska. Please visit my professional website for more information, https://www.trevoracarter.com/
Gabrielle’s research interests include urban ecology and native wildflowers of Colorado. She is especially interested in the resiliency of native plants in the face of climate change and urbanization.
Interest: I'm interested in urban raptor ecology and the urban wildlife information network. Please visit my professional website for more information. https://www.alyssadavidge.com/
Interests: Demographics, Species Distribution Modeling, Population Genetics, Plant Conservation. The study of applied plant conservation. I conduct field research on plant population dynamics and model species distributions, population level genetic structure, and response to climate change.
Research interest: My research focuses on developing computational methods to enhance the quality of NMR data and using NMR techniques to investigate how proteins interact with RNA.
Expertise Areas: First year Experience/Success of STEM students and Health Professions Advising Education & Degrees PhD., Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, 1996 M.A., Neurophysiology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1987 B.A., Biology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1985 Bio Dr. Ferguson has been on the faculty at the University of Colorado Denver since 1985 and teaches in the Dept. of Integrative Biology. He has been nationally recognized for excellence in teaching and...
Interests: include restoration ecology, seed-based conservation, and plant ecology. Her PhD dissertation is on the ‘Implications of Local Adaptation on Seed Sourcing for North American Prairie Restoration Under Climate Change’. She conducts field, greenhouse, and genetic research on prairie restoration at Denver Botanic Gardens York St. and Chatfield Farms.
Ph.D. • 2018 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: Desert zombies, mata vendados, spawns of satan, and madre de alacranes are all colloquial names for camel spiders. Camel spiders, in the arachnid order Solifugae, are an interesting and perplexing group of arachnids distributed on all continents except Antarctica and Australia. Erika Garcia is a doctoral student based at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science working with Dr. Paula Cushing on camel spiders within the family Eremobatidae...
M.S. Program • Ackerfield, Bruederle and Ragland Lab
Department of Integrative Biology
Interest: Tiffany is a first-year master’s student and botanist advised by Dr. Jennifer Ackerfield, Dr. Leo Bruederle, and Dr. Greg Ragland. She is interested in the processes of evolution and speciation at a molecular level. Tiffany’s research involves examining the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Eutrema , specifically through the lens of chromosome duplication. She is exploring how this phenomenon contributes to within-genus diversification and distribution. Tiffany will be applying...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My science education research interests are concerned with assessing and improving how students understand biological concepts and apply scientific principles, especially concepts and principles related to ecology. I work at both the undergraduate and grades 6-12 levels. My approach to this research employs both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods. I enjoy working on large-scale, multi-faceted collaborative projects that seek to answer transformative and often complicated research questions. Thus, some of the projects I work on involve many collaborators from across the country. My goals as a science education researcher are to make discoveries that can be used for improving pedagogy and assessment in undergraduate biology education and for informing the development of national science standards and practices for K-12 education. My ecological research bridges community and ecosystem ecology to explore how plant communities and soils respond to external factors such as intensive herbivory, nutrient inputs, emerging infectious diseases, and climate change. The model system that I work on has shaped and integrated the questions that I pursue. I study the impact of introduced bubonic plague on both urban and rural black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) communities. My field research involves mostly observational studies across space and time gradients. I conduct greenhouse experiments to further explore the mechanisms underlying the broad patterns I observe in the field. Much of my research is situated in and around urban Denver, making it easily accessible to UC Denver student researchers.
Research Interests: I’m a landscape and spatial ecologist, in my 4th-year as a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Colorado Denver. I work in the intersection of paleoecology, landscape ecology, and disturbance ecology, using field, lab, and modeling tools to study how ecosystems change over space and time.
Interests: Fear extinction, stress resilience, exercise, sex differences and estrous cycle effects. My research focuses specifically on the estrous cycle modulation of fear extinction learning and memory.
Ph.D. • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My research adapts genomics tools to answer fundamental questions about the evolution of animal diversity. I focus on the regulatory control of gene expression during vertebrate development. My approach integrates functional and comparative genomics, developmental biology, and phylogenetics. My goal is to understand the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying the evolution of vertebrate morphology.
Research interests include understanding how young adults learn biological concepts using cooperative and phenomena-based approaches and how to best support teacher implementing those strategies.
Ph.D. • 2021 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
I am currently studying evolutionary relationships between camel spiders (solifuges) using phylogenomics and revising taxonomic characters used to name camel spider species. I also am interested in camel spider behavior, specifically how they locate their prey and their use of daytime retreats.
M.S. Program • 2024 • Ackerfield Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Ash Kerber is a first year Master’s student exploring the evolutionary history of rare alpine plants, specifically in the genus Polemonium, using floral scent and genetics. She plans to demonstrate how diverse alpine angiosperm adaptions can be, especially those that humans cannot see. Denver Botanic Gardens Graduate Students
Expertise Areas: Cellular and molecular neurobiology, neuropharmacology, synaptic development, hippocampal biology, general genetics, neuropsychology Education and Degrees Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical School B.S. in Biology from the University of North Dakota Bio My journey into neurobiology began in the gross anatomy cadaver lab at the University of North Dakota. This led me to start pursuing molecular neurobiology, with a specific interest in the cellular...
Expertise Areas: Science Education, Ecology Education & Degrees Ph.D., Integrative and Systems Biology, University of Colorado Denver M.S., Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville B.S., Biology, Saint Louis University Bio I am a biology education researcher who primarily focuses on multicultural science education. I study student science identities and how history, family, and community shape the ways students perceive life experiences and their place in science. Additional biology education interests...
Expertise: Biomolecular NMR, Protein Structure and Function, Integrative Structural Biology, Infectious Disease, AI/ML, Automated NMR Analysis, Integrated Software, Big Data
M.S. Program • 2023 • Greene/Wilson Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
I'm interested in plant-fungal relationships. My thesis project is documenting the diversity of fungi associated with two plants that utilize carbon sourced from fungi.
Areas of Expertise: My content area of expertise and teaching focus are in immunology (and introduction to biology outside of UC, Denver). My interests in science education focus on creating more engaging, active learning approaches that increase equity and inclusion in learning and in the learning community. Currently, I am evaluating the contributions of Flip video assignments through qualitative and quantitative measures. Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is a free, simple video...
My research in behavioral neuroscience examines sex differences in stress resistance factors like exercise. Currently, I am investigating the neural circuits that mediate exercise-induced stress resistance in male and female rodents.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Miller lab develops and uses bioinformatic and genome-enabled approaches to study microbial communities. With the advent of new sequencing technologies, one can sequence billions or trillions of base pairs of DNA for relatively little money. One of the most powerful applications of this new economy is the direct sequencing of microbial DNA and RNA from the environment. The combination of deep sequencing and bioinformatics reveals that even “simple” natural microbial communities are in fact quite complex. The Miller lab is interested in understanding this complexity at a systems level for microbial communities relevant to the environment, bioenergy production, and human health and disease.
PhD • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: Evolutionary ecology, eco-physiology, global change, comparative methods, citizen science Education & Degrees PhD – Case Western Reserve University 2019 MS – Murray State University 2014 BS – Gonzaga University 2011 Bio Dr. Moore studies physiological and developmental limits on evolution. His research with dragonflies and amphibians details why organisms have been able to adapt to some environments but not others. This work also helps us predict the ways...
Interests: I am interested in self-organization and its intersection in social insects (ants) and neuroscience. Both are centerless systems which nonetheless exhibit flexible, directed behavior which arises from their constitutive parts. My research centers on recruitment and warfare in the pavement ant Tetramorium immigrans , a widespread tramp species across Europe and North America.
Research Interest: I am interested in evolutionary ecology, animal behavior, and wildlife conservation through the lens of global change. I am driven to explore how wildfire and extreme events affect wildlife populations. Currently, I am researching how habitats burned by wildfire impact the sexually selected traits of dragonflies.
Expertise Areas: Plant Sciences Education and Degrees Postdoctoral Fellow , Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany PhD. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. MS. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. BA. Biology , Macalester College. Bio I am a plant molecular systematist and evolutionary biologist. I am interested in evolutionary relationships at the border of species and populations and have studied both the pantropical understory shrub genus Psychotria (Rubiaceae) and Hawaiian...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My broad research interests include animal population dynamics and behavioral ecology. Currently, my research focuses on migratory ecology and demography of an inland breeding shorebird of conservation interest, the Mountain Plover. I am interested in how migration strategies vary between individuals across the landscape and how this variation is affected by environment and phenotype. Additionally, how does this variation translate to population level effects on seasonal distribution and population...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Ragland Lab is interested in the process of local adaptation to changing environments, and the mechanisms underlying animal hibernation. Our goal is to understand the mechanisms and targets of natural selection, integrating studies from genomes, to physiology, to whole organism performance. Please refer to the lab website for more information: https://seasonaladaptation.org
Ed.D. • Senior Instructor • Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Integrative Biology
Education & Degrees University of Colorado Denver, Doctor of Education, Leadership for Educational Equity 2014 Walden University, Masters in Public Health, 2008 University of Colorado Denver, Masters of Arts, Biology 2003 University of Colorado Boulder, Bachelor of Arts, Environmental, Populational, Organismal Biology 1995 Courses Taught BIOL 1550&1560: Basic Biology for non-biology majors BIOL 1136: Human Biology BIOL 1111: Biology First Year Seminar BIOL 2010: General Biology II
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of ESIL Certificate • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My interests include topics in microbiology and microbial ecology. I'm currently researching the degradation of 1,4-dioxane, a potentially carcinogenic chemical, by microorganisms at a Colorado landfill. My undergraduate research was focused on microbial fuel cells, a technology to harvest electricity from microorganisms.
Research Interests: Urban and Evolutionary Ecology, specifically how urban ecological and evolutionary processes can be better understood and used to inform environmentally conscious city and land-use management. My thesis work will involve surveys of water quality within City of Denver, and more specifically along the Highline Canal, using aquatic invertebrate and plant diversity as quality indicators.
M.S. Program • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: Center around camel spider (Solifuges) systematics. My focus is in analyzing currently used characters and devising morphometrics that may shed light on a complex group of camel spiders
Interests: My doctoral work is on limber pine at treeline in Rocky Mountain National Park, determining its treeline distribution, variables associated with its occurrence there, and the viability of limber pine seeds produced across high elevations. More broadly, my research interests include remote sensing and GIS applications to landscape ecology and biogeography, and restoration ecology under changing climate.
Audrey Spencer is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate researching the systematics and biogeography of Physocarpus (ninebark), helping elucidate the origins of the flora of the Southern Rockies. She uses genomic tools to tell the biogeographic story of plants with disjunct distributions.
Ph.D. • 2022 • Dr. John Fisk, CU Denver Department of Chemistry
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: I am interested in work to expand the genetic code via incorporation of noncanonical amino acids as well as working on developing a computational model of phage infection in filamentous bacteria for the purposes of modeling phage display and delving deeper into how to reverse bacterial "curing" during a phage infection. To learn more about our research, please visit our lab's website.
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.
Joseph has graduated into the department's PhD Program. Interests: designing a novel way to extract and isolate nascent-RNA in hopes to determine the thermal sensitivity of transcription.
Research Interests: Broadly I am interested in all things related to insects and have a passion for pollinators and how they interact with their environment. My research questions use Drosophila melanogaster to answer questions about developmental plasticity and further our understanding of how insects respond to cold stress.
Interests: My research interest is in nanomedicine, that is, using nano-sized materials in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. I focus on the fabrication of chemiluminescent and fluorescent nanoparticles for use in early detection and image-guided surgery of cancer for clinical use. I also work on the development of therapeutic contact lenses coated with metal chelators for the treatment of corneal diseases.
Areas of Expertise: I use molecular systematics to refine understanding of fungal diversity, and novel phylogenetic tools to test hypotheses regarding their evolution and ecology. I am currently expanding my research into population genetics.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of Graduate Program • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative 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.
I am interested in how the evolution of ornaments conflicts with locomotor performance and fitness using stalk-eyed flies as a model system. To test for flight biomechanical costs associated with the elongated eye stalks, I film escape performance of flies in simulated predator attacks using high-speed videography.
M.S. Program • 2022 • Rebecca Hufft, Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: I am interested in using Terrestrial Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) data collected in burn scars on public lands to determine if current land management decisions are efficient in restoration efforts post- wildfire.
Expertise Areas: Since graduating with my PhD in behavioral neuroendocrinology in 1998, I have held post-doctoral appointments in several labs in several disciplines - at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy I worked on the molecular mechanisms regulating DNA replication and cell-cycle arrest; in the Division of Endocrinology at the CU Health Sciences Center, I worked on coactivators and corepressors of the progesterone receptor and their role in the regulation of breast cancer. I held a National Research Council postdoctoral research position working with the USGS on the seasonal effects of endocrine disrupters and most recently worked at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics looking at the association between behavioral disorders and genes for several neurotransmitter-associated proteins. Although I am still very interested in the interaction between environmental endocrine disrupters and seasonal reproduction and the genetic and endocrine basis of behavior, since 2002 most of my professional time has been devoted to teaching. I am fascinated by the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie behavior and physiology and thoroughly enjoy sharing that interest with students in anatomy, physiology, and exercise physiology.
Expertise Areas: Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology Education & Degrees DDS - University of Missouri in Kansas City MBA - Baker University, Baldwin City, KS BA - Creighton University, Omaha, NE Bio BBB Selected Publications PPP Courses Taught Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology
Expertise Areas: Dr. Bruederle's research interests include the evolution of species rich genera such as Carex (Cyperaceae), which comprises approximately 2000 species worldwide. He is interested specifically in the evolutionary mechanisms that facilitate speciation in this large genus. Additional interests include: plant systematics at and below the level of genus, population genetics and endemism, conservation genetics, and biogeography. He is also interested in the implementation, institutionalization, and assessment of undergraduate research.
Interests: Julie is a doctoral research fellow with the National Science Foundation. Her research interests are interdisciplinary in the fields of ecology literacy, environmental education, and ethnographic research. Through studying the intersections of ecological systems, environmental education, and socio-historical equity, she creates culturally inclusive pedagogy and equitable evaluation practices. She has extensive background experience in designing, managing, and evaluating formal and informal K-12 science education programs, as well as conducting...
Interests: I am broadly interested in understanding how plant communities respond to and interact with disturbance in forested ecosystems and how changing plant communities influence biogeochemistry, biogeography, and energy balances. Currently, I am pursuing these interests in the temperate coastal rainforest of Southeast Alaska. Please visit my professional website for more information, https://www.trevoracarter.com/
Gabrielle’s research interests include urban ecology and native wildflowers of Colorado. She is especially interested in the resiliency of native plants in the face of climate change and urbanization.
Interest: I'm interested in urban raptor ecology and the urban wildlife information network. Please visit my professional website for more information. https://www.alyssadavidge.com/
Interests: Demographics, Species Distribution Modeling, Population Genetics, Plant Conservation. The study of applied plant conservation. I conduct field research on plant population dynamics and model species distributions, population level genetic structure, and response to climate change.
Research interest: My research focuses on developing computational methods to enhance the quality of NMR data and using NMR techniques to investigate how proteins interact with RNA.
Expertise Areas: First year Experience/Success of STEM students and Health Professions Advising Education & Degrees PhD., Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, 1996 M.A., Neurophysiology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1987 B.A., Biology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1985 Bio Dr. Ferguson has been on the faculty at the University of Colorado Denver since 1985 and teaches in the Dept. of Integrative Biology. He has been nationally recognized for excellence in teaching and...
Interests: include restoration ecology, seed-based conservation, and plant ecology. Her PhD dissertation is on the ‘Implications of Local Adaptation on Seed Sourcing for North American Prairie Restoration Under Climate Change’. She conducts field, greenhouse, and genetic research on prairie restoration at Denver Botanic Gardens York St. and Chatfield Farms.
Ph.D. • 2018 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: Desert zombies, mata vendados, spawns of satan, and madre de alacranes are all colloquial names for camel spiders. Camel spiders, in the arachnid order Solifugae, are an interesting and perplexing group of arachnids distributed on all continents except Antarctica and Australia. Erika Garcia is a doctoral student based at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science working with Dr. Paula Cushing on camel spiders within the family Eremobatidae...
M.S. Program • Ackerfield, Bruederle and Ragland Lab
Department of Integrative Biology
Interest: Tiffany is a first-year master’s student and botanist advised by Dr. Jennifer Ackerfield, Dr. Leo Bruederle, and Dr. Greg Ragland. She is interested in the processes of evolution and speciation at a molecular level. Tiffany’s research involves examining the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Eutrema , specifically through the lens of chromosome duplication. She is exploring how this phenomenon contributes to within-genus diversification and distribution. Tiffany will be applying...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My science education research interests are concerned with assessing and improving how students understand biological concepts and apply scientific principles, especially concepts and principles related to ecology. I work at both the undergraduate and grades 6-12 levels. My approach to this research employs both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods. I enjoy working on large-scale, multi-faceted collaborative projects that seek to answer transformative and often complicated research questions. Thus, some of the projects I work on involve many collaborators from across the country. My goals as a science education researcher are to make discoveries that can be used for improving pedagogy and assessment in undergraduate biology education and for informing the development of national science standards and practices for K-12 education. My ecological research bridges community and ecosystem ecology to explore how plant communities and soils respond to external factors such as intensive herbivory, nutrient inputs, emerging infectious diseases, and climate change. The model system that I work on has shaped and integrated the questions that I pursue. I study the impact of introduced bubonic plague on both urban and rural black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) communities. My field research involves mostly observational studies across space and time gradients. I conduct greenhouse experiments to further explore the mechanisms underlying the broad patterns I observe in the field. Much of my research is situated in and around urban Denver, making it easily accessible to UC Denver student researchers.
Research Interests: I’m a landscape and spatial ecologist, in my 4th-year as a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Colorado Denver. I work in the intersection of paleoecology, landscape ecology, and disturbance ecology, using field, lab, and modeling tools to study how ecosystems change over space and time.
Interests: Fear extinction, stress resilience, exercise, sex differences and estrous cycle effects. My research focuses specifically on the estrous cycle modulation of fear extinction learning and memory.
Ph.D. • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My research adapts genomics tools to answer fundamental questions about the evolution of animal diversity. I focus on the regulatory control of gene expression during vertebrate development. My approach integrates functional and comparative genomics, developmental biology, and phylogenetics. My goal is to understand the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying the evolution of vertebrate morphology.
Research interests include understanding how young adults learn biological concepts using cooperative and phenomena-based approaches and how to best support teacher implementing those strategies.
Ph.D. • 2021 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
I am currently studying evolutionary relationships between camel spiders (solifuges) using phylogenomics and revising taxonomic characters used to name camel spider species. I also am interested in camel spider behavior, specifically how they locate their prey and their use of daytime retreats.
M.S. Program • 2024 • Ackerfield Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Ash Kerber is a first year Master’s student exploring the evolutionary history of rare alpine plants, specifically in the genus Polemonium, using floral scent and genetics. She plans to demonstrate how diverse alpine angiosperm adaptions can be, especially those that humans cannot see. Denver Botanic Gardens Graduate Students
Expertise Areas: Cellular and molecular neurobiology, neuropharmacology, synaptic development, hippocampal biology, general genetics, neuropsychology Education and Degrees Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical School B.S. in Biology from the University of North Dakota Bio My journey into neurobiology began in the gross anatomy cadaver lab at the University of North Dakota. This led me to start pursuing molecular neurobiology, with a specific interest in the cellular...
Expertise Areas: Science Education, Ecology Education & Degrees Ph.D., Integrative and Systems Biology, University of Colorado Denver M.S., Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville B.S., Biology, Saint Louis University Bio I am a biology education researcher who primarily focuses on multicultural science education. I study student science identities and how history, family, and community shape the ways students perceive life experiences and their place in science. Additional biology education interests...
Expertise: Biomolecular NMR, Protein Structure and Function, Integrative Structural Biology, Infectious Disease, AI/ML, Automated NMR Analysis, Integrated Software, Big Data
M.S. Program • 2023 • Greene/Wilson Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
I'm interested in plant-fungal relationships. My thesis project is documenting the diversity of fungi associated with two plants that utilize carbon sourced from fungi.
Areas of Expertise: My content area of expertise and teaching focus are in immunology (and introduction to biology outside of UC, Denver). My interests in science education focus on creating more engaging, active learning approaches that increase equity and inclusion in learning and in the learning community. Currently, I am evaluating the contributions of Flip video assignments through qualitative and quantitative measures. Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is a free, simple video...
My research in behavioral neuroscience examines sex differences in stress resistance factors like exercise. Currently, I am investigating the neural circuits that mediate exercise-induced stress resistance in male and female rodents.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Miller lab develops and uses bioinformatic and genome-enabled approaches to study microbial communities. With the advent of new sequencing technologies, one can sequence billions or trillions of base pairs of DNA for relatively little money. One of the most powerful applications of this new economy is the direct sequencing of microbial DNA and RNA from the environment. The combination of deep sequencing and bioinformatics reveals that even “simple” natural microbial communities are in fact quite complex. The Miller lab is interested in understanding this complexity at a systems level for microbial communities relevant to the environment, bioenergy production, and human health and disease.
PhD • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: Evolutionary ecology, eco-physiology, global change, comparative methods, citizen science Education & Degrees PhD – Case Western Reserve University 2019 MS – Murray State University 2014 BS – Gonzaga University 2011 Bio Dr. Moore studies physiological and developmental limits on evolution. His research with dragonflies and amphibians details why organisms have been able to adapt to some environments but not others. This work also helps us predict the ways...
Interests: I am interested in self-organization and its intersection in social insects (ants) and neuroscience. Both are centerless systems which nonetheless exhibit flexible, directed behavior which arises from their constitutive parts. My research centers on recruitment and warfare in the pavement ant Tetramorium immigrans , a widespread tramp species across Europe and North America.
Research Interest: I am interested in evolutionary ecology, animal behavior, and wildlife conservation through the lens of global change. I am driven to explore how wildfire and extreme events affect wildlife populations. Currently, I am researching how habitats burned by wildfire impact the sexually selected traits of dragonflies.
Expertise Areas: Plant Sciences Education and Degrees Postdoctoral Fellow , Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany PhD. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. MS. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. BA. Biology , Macalester College. Bio I am a plant molecular systematist and evolutionary biologist. I am interested in evolutionary relationships at the border of species and populations and have studied both the pantropical understory shrub genus Psychotria (Rubiaceae) and Hawaiian...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My broad research interests include animal population dynamics and behavioral ecology. Currently, my research focuses on migratory ecology and demography of an inland breeding shorebird of conservation interest, the Mountain Plover. I am interested in how migration strategies vary between individuals across the landscape and how this variation is affected by environment and phenotype. Additionally, how does this variation translate to population level effects on seasonal distribution and population...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Ragland Lab is interested in the process of local adaptation to changing environments, and the mechanisms underlying animal hibernation. Our goal is to understand the mechanisms and targets of natural selection, integrating studies from genomes, to physiology, to whole organism performance. Please refer to the lab website for more information: https://seasonaladaptation.org
Ed.D. • Senior Instructor • Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Integrative Biology
Education & Degrees University of Colorado Denver, Doctor of Education, Leadership for Educational Equity 2014 Walden University, Masters in Public Health, 2008 University of Colorado Denver, Masters of Arts, Biology 2003 University of Colorado Boulder, Bachelor of Arts, Environmental, Populational, Organismal Biology 1995 Courses Taught BIOL 1550&1560: Basic Biology for non-biology majors BIOL 1136: Human Biology BIOL 1111: Biology First Year Seminar BIOL 2010: General Biology II
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of ESIL Certificate • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My interests include topics in microbiology and microbial ecology. I'm currently researching the degradation of 1,4-dioxane, a potentially carcinogenic chemical, by microorganisms at a Colorado landfill. My undergraduate research was focused on microbial fuel cells, a technology to harvest electricity from microorganisms.
Research Interests: Urban and Evolutionary Ecology, specifically how urban ecological and evolutionary processes can be better understood and used to inform environmentally conscious city and land-use management. My thesis work will involve surveys of water quality within City of Denver, and more specifically along the Highline Canal, using aquatic invertebrate and plant diversity as quality indicators.
M.S. Program • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: Center around camel spider (Solifuges) systematics. My focus is in analyzing currently used characters and devising morphometrics that may shed light on a complex group of camel spiders
Interests: My doctoral work is on limber pine at treeline in Rocky Mountain National Park, determining its treeline distribution, variables associated with its occurrence there, and the viability of limber pine seeds produced across high elevations. More broadly, my research interests include remote sensing and GIS applications to landscape ecology and biogeography, and restoration ecology under changing climate.
Audrey Spencer is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate researching the systematics and biogeography of Physocarpus (ninebark), helping elucidate the origins of the flora of the Southern Rockies. She uses genomic tools to tell the biogeographic story of plants with disjunct distributions.
Ph.D. • 2022 • Dr. John Fisk, CU Denver Department of Chemistry
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: I am interested in work to expand the genetic code via incorporation of noncanonical amino acids as well as working on developing a computational model of phage infection in filamentous bacteria for the purposes of modeling phage display and delving deeper into how to reverse bacterial "curing" during a phage infection. To learn more about our research, please visit our lab's website.
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.
Joseph has graduated into the department's PhD Program. Interests: designing a novel way to extract and isolate nascent-RNA in hopes to determine the thermal sensitivity of transcription.
Research Interests: Broadly I am interested in all things related to insects and have a passion for pollinators and how they interact with their environment. My research questions use Drosophila melanogaster to answer questions about developmental plasticity and further our understanding of how insects respond to cold stress.
Interests: My research interest is in nanomedicine, that is, using nano-sized materials in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. I focus on the fabrication of chemiluminescent and fluorescent nanoparticles for use in early detection and image-guided surgery of cancer for clinical use. I also work on the development of therapeutic contact lenses coated with metal chelators for the treatment of corneal diseases.
Areas of Expertise: I use molecular systematics to refine understanding of fungal diversity, and novel phylogenetic tools to test hypotheses regarding their evolution and ecology. I am currently expanding my research into population genetics.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of Graduate Program • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative 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.
I am interested in how the evolution of ornaments conflicts with locomotor performance and fitness using stalk-eyed flies as a model system. To test for flight biomechanical costs associated with the elongated eye stalks, I film escape performance of flies in simulated predator attacks using high-speed videography.
M.S. Program • 2022 • Rebecca Hufft, Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: I am interested in using Terrestrial Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) data collected in burn scars on public lands to determine if current land management decisions are efficient in restoration efforts post- wildfire.
Expertise Areas: Since graduating with my PhD in behavioral neuroendocrinology in 1998, I have held post-doctoral appointments in several labs in several disciplines - at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy I worked on the molecular mechanisms regulating DNA replication and cell-cycle arrest; in the Division of Endocrinology at the CU Health Sciences Center, I worked on coactivators and corepressors of the progesterone receptor and their role in the regulation of breast cancer. I held a National Research Council postdoctoral research position working with the USGS on the seasonal effects of endocrine disrupters and most recently worked at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics looking at the association between behavioral disorders and genes for several neurotransmitter-associated proteins. Although I am still very interested in the interaction between environmental endocrine disrupters and seasonal reproduction and the genetic and endocrine basis of behavior, since 2002 most of my professional time has been devoted to teaching. I am fascinated by the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie behavior and physiology and thoroughly enjoy sharing that interest with students in anatomy, physiology, and exercise physiology.
Expertise Areas: Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology Education & Degrees DDS - University of Missouri in Kansas City MBA - Baker University, Baldwin City, KS BA - Creighton University, Omaha, NE Bio BBB Selected Publications PPP Courses Taught Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology
Expertise Areas: Dr. Bruederle's research interests include the evolution of species rich genera such as Carex (Cyperaceae), which comprises approximately 2000 species worldwide. He is interested specifically in the evolutionary mechanisms that facilitate speciation in this large genus. Additional interests include: plant systematics at and below the level of genus, population genetics and endemism, conservation genetics, and biogeography. He is also interested in the implementation, institutionalization, and assessment of undergraduate research.
Interests: Julie is a doctoral research fellow with the National Science Foundation. Her research interests are interdisciplinary in the fields of ecology literacy, environmental education, and ethnographic research. Through studying the intersections of ecological systems, environmental education, and socio-historical equity, she creates culturally inclusive pedagogy and equitable evaluation practices. She has extensive background experience in designing, managing, and evaluating formal and informal K-12 science education programs, as well as conducting...
Interests: I am broadly interested in understanding how plant communities respond to and interact with disturbance in forested ecosystems and how changing plant communities influence biogeochemistry, biogeography, and energy balances. Currently, I am pursuing these interests in the temperate coastal rainforest of Southeast Alaska. Please visit my professional website for more information, https://www.trevoracarter.com/
Gabrielle’s research interests include urban ecology and native wildflowers of Colorado. She is especially interested in the resiliency of native plants in the face of climate change and urbanization.
Interest: I'm interested in urban raptor ecology and the urban wildlife information network. Please visit my professional website for more information. https://www.alyssadavidge.com/
Interests: Demographics, Species Distribution Modeling, Population Genetics, Plant Conservation. The study of applied plant conservation. I conduct field research on plant population dynamics and model species distributions, population level genetic structure, and response to climate change.
Research interest: My research focuses on developing computational methods to enhance the quality of NMR data and using NMR techniques to investigate how proteins interact with RNA.
Expertise Areas: First year Experience/Success of STEM students and Health Professions Advising Education & Degrees PhD., Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, 1996 M.A., Neurophysiology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1987 B.A., Biology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1985 Bio Dr. Ferguson has been on the faculty at the University of Colorado Denver since 1985 and teaches in the Dept. of Integrative Biology. He has been nationally recognized for excellence in teaching and...
Interests: include restoration ecology, seed-based conservation, and plant ecology. Her PhD dissertation is on the ‘Implications of Local Adaptation on Seed Sourcing for North American Prairie Restoration Under Climate Change’. She conducts field, greenhouse, and genetic research on prairie restoration at Denver Botanic Gardens York St. and Chatfield Farms.
Ph.D. • 2018 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: Desert zombies, mata vendados, spawns of satan, and madre de alacranes are all colloquial names for camel spiders. Camel spiders, in the arachnid order Solifugae, are an interesting and perplexing group of arachnids distributed on all continents except Antarctica and Australia. Erika Garcia is a doctoral student based at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science working with Dr. Paula Cushing on camel spiders within the family Eremobatidae...
M.S. Program • Ackerfield, Bruederle and Ragland Lab
Department of Integrative Biology
Interest: Tiffany is a first-year master’s student and botanist advised by Dr. Jennifer Ackerfield, Dr. Leo Bruederle, and Dr. Greg Ragland. She is interested in the processes of evolution and speciation at a molecular level. Tiffany’s research involves examining the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Eutrema , specifically through the lens of chromosome duplication. She is exploring how this phenomenon contributes to within-genus diversification and distribution. Tiffany will be applying...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My science education research interests are concerned with assessing and improving how students understand biological concepts and apply scientific principles, especially concepts and principles related to ecology. I work at both the undergraduate and grades 6-12 levels. My approach to this research employs both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods. I enjoy working on large-scale, multi-faceted collaborative projects that seek to answer transformative and often complicated research questions. Thus, some of the projects I work on involve many collaborators from across the country. My goals as a science education researcher are to make discoveries that can be used for improving pedagogy and assessment in undergraduate biology education and for informing the development of national science standards and practices for K-12 education. My ecological research bridges community and ecosystem ecology to explore how plant communities and soils respond to external factors such as intensive herbivory, nutrient inputs, emerging infectious diseases, and climate change. The model system that I work on has shaped and integrated the questions that I pursue. I study the impact of introduced bubonic plague on both urban and rural black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) communities. My field research involves mostly observational studies across space and time gradients. I conduct greenhouse experiments to further explore the mechanisms underlying the broad patterns I observe in the field. Much of my research is situated in and around urban Denver, making it easily accessible to UC Denver student researchers.
Research Interests: I’m a landscape and spatial ecologist, in my 4th-year as a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Colorado Denver. I work in the intersection of paleoecology, landscape ecology, and disturbance ecology, using field, lab, and modeling tools to study how ecosystems change over space and time.
Interests: Fear extinction, stress resilience, exercise, sex differences and estrous cycle effects. My research focuses specifically on the estrous cycle modulation of fear extinction learning and memory.
Ph.D. • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My research adapts genomics tools to answer fundamental questions about the evolution of animal diversity. I focus on the regulatory control of gene expression during vertebrate development. My approach integrates functional and comparative genomics, developmental biology, and phylogenetics. My goal is to understand the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying the evolution of vertebrate morphology.
Research interests include understanding how young adults learn biological concepts using cooperative and phenomena-based approaches and how to best support teacher implementing those strategies.
Ph.D. • 2021 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
I am currently studying evolutionary relationships between camel spiders (solifuges) using phylogenomics and revising taxonomic characters used to name camel spider species. I also am interested in camel spider behavior, specifically how they locate their prey and their use of daytime retreats.
M.S. Program • 2024 • Ackerfield Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Ash Kerber is a first year Master’s student exploring the evolutionary history of rare alpine plants, specifically in the genus Polemonium, using floral scent and genetics. She plans to demonstrate how diverse alpine angiosperm adaptions can be, especially those that humans cannot see. Denver Botanic Gardens Graduate Students
Expertise Areas: Cellular and molecular neurobiology, neuropharmacology, synaptic development, hippocampal biology, general genetics, neuropsychology Education and Degrees Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical School B.S. in Biology from the University of North Dakota Bio My journey into neurobiology began in the gross anatomy cadaver lab at the University of North Dakota. This led me to start pursuing molecular neurobiology, with a specific interest in the cellular...
Expertise Areas: Science Education, Ecology Education & Degrees Ph.D., Integrative and Systems Biology, University of Colorado Denver M.S., Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville B.S., Biology, Saint Louis University Bio I am a biology education researcher who primarily focuses on multicultural science education. I study student science identities and how history, family, and community shape the ways students perceive life experiences and their place in science. Additional biology education interests...
Expertise: Biomolecular NMR, Protein Structure and Function, Integrative Structural Biology, Infectious Disease, AI/ML, Automated NMR Analysis, Integrated Software, Big Data
M.S. Program • 2023 • Greene/Wilson Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
I'm interested in plant-fungal relationships. My thesis project is documenting the diversity of fungi associated with two plants that utilize carbon sourced from fungi.
Areas of Expertise: My content area of expertise and teaching focus are in immunology (and introduction to biology outside of UC, Denver). My interests in science education focus on creating more engaging, active learning approaches that increase equity and inclusion in learning and in the learning community. Currently, I am evaluating the contributions of Flip video assignments through qualitative and quantitative measures. Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is a free, simple video...
My research in behavioral neuroscience examines sex differences in stress resistance factors like exercise. Currently, I am investigating the neural circuits that mediate exercise-induced stress resistance in male and female rodents.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Miller lab develops and uses bioinformatic and genome-enabled approaches to study microbial communities. With the advent of new sequencing technologies, one can sequence billions or trillions of base pairs of DNA for relatively little money. One of the most powerful applications of this new economy is the direct sequencing of microbial DNA and RNA from the environment. The combination of deep sequencing and bioinformatics reveals that even “simple” natural microbial communities are in fact quite complex. The Miller lab is interested in understanding this complexity at a systems level for microbial communities relevant to the environment, bioenergy production, and human health and disease.
PhD • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: Evolutionary ecology, eco-physiology, global change, comparative methods, citizen science Education & Degrees PhD – Case Western Reserve University 2019 MS – Murray State University 2014 BS – Gonzaga University 2011 Bio Dr. Moore studies physiological and developmental limits on evolution. His research with dragonflies and amphibians details why organisms have been able to adapt to some environments but not others. This work also helps us predict the ways...
Interests: I am interested in self-organization and its intersection in social insects (ants) and neuroscience. Both are centerless systems which nonetheless exhibit flexible, directed behavior which arises from their constitutive parts. My research centers on recruitment and warfare in the pavement ant Tetramorium immigrans , a widespread tramp species across Europe and North America.
Research Interest: I am interested in evolutionary ecology, animal behavior, and wildlife conservation through the lens of global change. I am driven to explore how wildfire and extreme events affect wildlife populations. Currently, I am researching how habitats burned by wildfire impact the sexually selected traits of dragonflies.
Expertise Areas: Plant Sciences Education and Degrees Postdoctoral Fellow , Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany PhD. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. MS. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. BA. Biology , Macalester College. Bio I am a plant molecular systematist and evolutionary biologist. I am interested in evolutionary relationships at the border of species and populations and have studied both the pantropical understory shrub genus Psychotria (Rubiaceae) and Hawaiian...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My broad research interests include animal population dynamics and behavioral ecology. Currently, my research focuses on migratory ecology and demography of an inland breeding shorebird of conservation interest, the Mountain Plover. I am interested in how migration strategies vary between individuals across the landscape and how this variation is affected by environment and phenotype. Additionally, how does this variation translate to population level effects on seasonal distribution and population...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Ragland Lab is interested in the process of local adaptation to changing environments, and the mechanisms underlying animal hibernation. Our goal is to understand the mechanisms and targets of natural selection, integrating studies from genomes, to physiology, to whole organism performance. Please refer to the lab website for more information: https://seasonaladaptation.org
Ed.D. • Senior Instructor • Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Integrative Biology
Education & Degrees University of Colorado Denver, Doctor of Education, Leadership for Educational Equity 2014 Walden University, Masters in Public Health, 2008 University of Colorado Denver, Masters of Arts, Biology 2003 University of Colorado Boulder, Bachelor of Arts, Environmental, Populational, Organismal Biology 1995 Courses Taught BIOL 1550&1560: Basic Biology for non-biology majors BIOL 1136: Human Biology BIOL 1111: Biology First Year Seminar BIOL 2010: General Biology II
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of ESIL Certificate • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My interests include topics in microbiology and microbial ecology. I'm currently researching the degradation of 1,4-dioxane, a potentially carcinogenic chemical, by microorganisms at a Colorado landfill. My undergraduate research was focused on microbial fuel cells, a technology to harvest electricity from microorganisms.
Research Interests: Urban and Evolutionary Ecology, specifically how urban ecological and evolutionary processes can be better understood and used to inform environmentally conscious city and land-use management. My thesis work will involve surveys of water quality within City of Denver, and more specifically along the Highline Canal, using aquatic invertebrate and plant diversity as quality indicators.
M.S. Program • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: Center around camel spider (Solifuges) systematics. My focus is in analyzing currently used characters and devising morphometrics that may shed light on a complex group of camel spiders
Interests: My doctoral work is on limber pine at treeline in Rocky Mountain National Park, determining its treeline distribution, variables associated with its occurrence there, and the viability of limber pine seeds produced across high elevations. More broadly, my research interests include remote sensing and GIS applications to landscape ecology and biogeography, and restoration ecology under changing climate.
Audrey Spencer is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate researching the systematics and biogeography of Physocarpus (ninebark), helping elucidate the origins of the flora of the Southern Rockies. She uses genomic tools to tell the biogeographic story of plants with disjunct distributions.
Ph.D. • 2022 • Dr. John Fisk, CU Denver Department of Chemistry
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: I am interested in work to expand the genetic code via incorporation of noncanonical amino acids as well as working on developing a computational model of phage infection in filamentous bacteria for the purposes of modeling phage display and delving deeper into how to reverse bacterial "curing" during a phage infection. To learn more about our research, please visit our lab's website.
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.
Joseph has graduated into the department's PhD Program. Interests: designing a novel way to extract and isolate nascent-RNA in hopes to determine the thermal sensitivity of transcription.
Research Interests: Broadly I am interested in all things related to insects and have a passion for pollinators and how they interact with their environment. My research questions use Drosophila melanogaster to answer questions about developmental plasticity and further our understanding of how insects respond to cold stress.
Interests: My research interest is in nanomedicine, that is, using nano-sized materials in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. I focus on the fabrication of chemiluminescent and fluorescent nanoparticles for use in early detection and image-guided surgery of cancer for clinical use. I also work on the development of therapeutic contact lenses coated with metal chelators for the treatment of corneal diseases.
Areas of Expertise: I use molecular systematics to refine understanding of fungal diversity, and novel phylogenetic tools to test hypotheses regarding their evolution and ecology. I am currently expanding my research into population genetics.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of Graduate Program • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative 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.
I am interested in how the evolution of ornaments conflicts with locomotor performance and fitness using stalk-eyed flies as a model system. To test for flight biomechanical costs associated with the elongated eye stalks, I film escape performance of flies in simulated predator attacks using high-speed videography.
M.S. Program • 2022 • Rebecca Hufft, Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: I am interested in using Terrestrial Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) data collected in burn scars on public lands to determine if current land management decisions are efficient in restoration efforts post- wildfire.
Expertise Areas: Since graduating with my PhD in behavioral neuroendocrinology in 1998, I have held post-doctoral appointments in several labs in several disciplines - at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy I worked on the molecular mechanisms regulating DNA replication and cell-cycle arrest; in the Division of Endocrinology at the CU Health Sciences Center, I worked on coactivators and corepressors of the progesterone receptor and their role in the regulation of breast cancer. I held a National Research Council postdoctoral research position working with the USGS on the seasonal effects of endocrine disrupters and most recently worked at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics looking at the association between behavioral disorders and genes for several neurotransmitter-associated proteins. Although I am still very interested in the interaction between environmental endocrine disrupters and seasonal reproduction and the genetic and endocrine basis of behavior, since 2002 most of my professional time has been devoted to teaching. I am fascinated by the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie behavior and physiology and thoroughly enjoy sharing that interest with students in anatomy, physiology, and exercise physiology.
Expertise Areas: Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology Education & Degrees DDS - University of Missouri in Kansas City MBA - Baker University, Baldwin City, KS BA - Creighton University, Omaha, NE Bio BBB Selected Publications PPP Courses Taught Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology
Expertise Areas: Dr. Bruederle's research interests include the evolution of species rich genera such as Carex (Cyperaceae), which comprises approximately 2000 species worldwide. He is interested specifically in the evolutionary mechanisms that facilitate speciation in this large genus. Additional interests include: plant systematics at and below the level of genus, population genetics and endemism, conservation genetics, and biogeography. He is also interested in the implementation, institutionalization, and assessment of undergraduate research.
Interests: Julie is a doctoral research fellow with the National Science Foundation. Her research interests are interdisciplinary in the fields of ecology literacy, environmental education, and ethnographic research. Through studying the intersections of ecological systems, environmental education, and socio-historical equity, she creates culturally inclusive pedagogy and equitable evaluation practices. She has extensive background experience in designing, managing, and evaluating formal and informal K-12 science education programs, as well as conducting...
Interests: I am broadly interested in understanding how plant communities respond to and interact with disturbance in forested ecosystems and how changing plant communities influence biogeochemistry, biogeography, and energy balances. Currently, I am pursuing these interests in the temperate coastal rainforest of Southeast Alaska. Please visit my professional website for more information, https://www.trevoracarter.com/
Gabrielle’s research interests include urban ecology and native wildflowers of Colorado. She is especially interested in the resiliency of native plants in the face of climate change and urbanization.
Interest: I'm interested in urban raptor ecology and the urban wildlife information network. Please visit my professional website for more information. https://www.alyssadavidge.com/
Interests: Demographics, Species Distribution Modeling, Population Genetics, Plant Conservation. The study of applied plant conservation. I conduct field research on plant population dynamics and model species distributions, population level genetic structure, and response to climate change.
Research interest: My research focuses on developing computational methods to enhance the quality of NMR data and using NMR techniques to investigate how proteins interact with RNA.
Expertise Areas: First year Experience/Success of STEM students and Health Professions Advising Education & Degrees PhD., Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, 1996 M.A., Neurophysiology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1987 B.A., Biology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1985 Bio Dr. Ferguson has been on the faculty at the University of Colorado Denver since 1985 and teaches in the Dept. of Integrative Biology. He has been nationally recognized for excellence in teaching and...
Interests: include restoration ecology, seed-based conservation, and plant ecology. Her PhD dissertation is on the ‘Implications of Local Adaptation on Seed Sourcing for North American Prairie Restoration Under Climate Change’. She conducts field, greenhouse, and genetic research on prairie restoration at Denver Botanic Gardens York St. and Chatfield Farms.
Ph.D. • 2018 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: Desert zombies, mata vendados, spawns of satan, and madre de alacranes are all colloquial names for camel spiders. Camel spiders, in the arachnid order Solifugae, are an interesting and perplexing group of arachnids distributed on all continents except Antarctica and Australia. Erika Garcia is a doctoral student based at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science working with Dr. Paula Cushing on camel spiders within the family Eremobatidae...
M.S. Program • Ackerfield, Bruederle and Ragland Lab
Department of Integrative Biology
Interest: Tiffany is a first-year master’s student and botanist advised by Dr. Jennifer Ackerfield, Dr. Leo Bruederle, and Dr. Greg Ragland. She is interested in the processes of evolution and speciation at a molecular level. Tiffany’s research involves examining the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Eutrema , specifically through the lens of chromosome duplication. She is exploring how this phenomenon contributes to within-genus diversification and distribution. Tiffany will be applying...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My science education research interests are concerned with assessing and improving how students understand biological concepts and apply scientific principles, especially concepts and principles related to ecology. I work at both the undergraduate and grades 6-12 levels. My approach to this research employs both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods. I enjoy working on large-scale, multi-faceted collaborative projects that seek to answer transformative and often complicated research questions. Thus, some of the projects I work on involve many collaborators from across the country. My goals as a science education researcher are to make discoveries that can be used for improving pedagogy and assessment in undergraduate biology education and for informing the development of national science standards and practices for K-12 education. My ecological research bridges community and ecosystem ecology to explore how plant communities and soils respond to external factors such as intensive herbivory, nutrient inputs, emerging infectious diseases, and climate change. The model system that I work on has shaped and integrated the questions that I pursue. I study the impact of introduced bubonic plague on both urban and rural black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) communities. My field research involves mostly observational studies across space and time gradients. I conduct greenhouse experiments to further explore the mechanisms underlying the broad patterns I observe in the field. Much of my research is situated in and around urban Denver, making it easily accessible to UC Denver student researchers.
Research Interests: I’m a landscape and spatial ecologist, in my 4th-year as a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Colorado Denver. I work in the intersection of paleoecology, landscape ecology, and disturbance ecology, using field, lab, and modeling tools to study how ecosystems change over space and time.
Interests: Fear extinction, stress resilience, exercise, sex differences and estrous cycle effects. My research focuses specifically on the estrous cycle modulation of fear extinction learning and memory.
Ph.D. • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My research adapts genomics tools to answer fundamental questions about the evolution of animal diversity. I focus on the regulatory control of gene expression during vertebrate development. My approach integrates functional and comparative genomics, developmental biology, and phylogenetics. My goal is to understand the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying the evolution of vertebrate morphology.
Research interests include understanding how young adults learn biological concepts using cooperative and phenomena-based approaches and how to best support teacher implementing those strategies.
Ph.D. • 2021 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
I am currently studying evolutionary relationships between camel spiders (solifuges) using phylogenomics and revising taxonomic characters used to name camel spider species. I also am interested in camel spider behavior, specifically how they locate their prey and their use of daytime retreats.
M.S. Program • 2024 • Ackerfield Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Ash Kerber is a first year Master’s student exploring the evolutionary history of rare alpine plants, specifically in the genus Polemonium, using floral scent and genetics. She plans to demonstrate how diverse alpine angiosperm adaptions can be, especially those that humans cannot see. Denver Botanic Gardens Graduate Students
Expertise Areas: Cellular and molecular neurobiology, neuropharmacology, synaptic development, hippocampal biology, general genetics, neuropsychology Education and Degrees Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical School B.S. in Biology from the University of North Dakota Bio My journey into neurobiology began in the gross anatomy cadaver lab at the University of North Dakota. This led me to start pursuing molecular neurobiology, with a specific interest in the cellular...
Expertise Areas: Science Education, Ecology Education & Degrees Ph.D., Integrative and Systems Biology, University of Colorado Denver M.S., Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville B.S., Biology, Saint Louis University Bio I am a biology education researcher who primarily focuses on multicultural science education. I study student science identities and how history, family, and community shape the ways students perceive life experiences and their place in science. Additional biology education interests...
Expertise: Biomolecular NMR, Protein Structure and Function, Integrative Structural Biology, Infectious Disease, AI/ML, Automated NMR Analysis, Integrated Software, Big Data
M.S. Program • 2023 • Greene/Wilson Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
I'm interested in plant-fungal relationships. My thesis project is documenting the diversity of fungi associated with two plants that utilize carbon sourced from fungi.
Areas of Expertise: My content area of expertise and teaching focus are in immunology (and introduction to biology outside of UC, Denver). My interests in science education focus on creating more engaging, active learning approaches that increase equity and inclusion in learning and in the learning community. Currently, I am evaluating the contributions of Flip video assignments through qualitative and quantitative measures. Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is a free, simple video...
My research in behavioral neuroscience examines sex differences in stress resistance factors like exercise. Currently, I am investigating the neural circuits that mediate exercise-induced stress resistance in male and female rodents.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Miller lab develops and uses bioinformatic and genome-enabled approaches to study microbial communities. With the advent of new sequencing technologies, one can sequence billions or trillions of base pairs of DNA for relatively little money. One of the most powerful applications of this new economy is the direct sequencing of microbial DNA and RNA from the environment. The combination of deep sequencing and bioinformatics reveals that even “simple” natural microbial communities are in fact quite complex. The Miller lab is interested in understanding this complexity at a systems level for microbial communities relevant to the environment, bioenergy production, and human health and disease.
PhD • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: Evolutionary ecology, eco-physiology, global change, comparative methods, citizen science Education & Degrees PhD – Case Western Reserve University 2019 MS – Murray State University 2014 BS – Gonzaga University 2011 Bio Dr. Moore studies physiological and developmental limits on evolution. His research with dragonflies and amphibians details why organisms have been able to adapt to some environments but not others. This work also helps us predict the ways...
Interests: I am interested in self-organization and its intersection in social insects (ants) and neuroscience. Both are centerless systems which nonetheless exhibit flexible, directed behavior which arises from their constitutive parts. My research centers on recruitment and warfare in the pavement ant Tetramorium immigrans , a widespread tramp species across Europe and North America.
Research Interest: I am interested in evolutionary ecology, animal behavior, and wildlife conservation through the lens of global change. I am driven to explore how wildfire and extreme events affect wildlife populations. Currently, I am researching how habitats burned by wildfire impact the sexually selected traits of dragonflies.
Expertise Areas: Plant Sciences Education and Degrees Postdoctoral Fellow , Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany PhD. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. MS. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. BA. Biology , Macalester College. Bio I am a plant molecular systematist and evolutionary biologist. I am interested in evolutionary relationships at the border of species and populations and have studied both the pantropical understory shrub genus Psychotria (Rubiaceae) and Hawaiian...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My broad research interests include animal population dynamics and behavioral ecology. Currently, my research focuses on migratory ecology and demography of an inland breeding shorebird of conservation interest, the Mountain Plover. I am interested in how migration strategies vary between individuals across the landscape and how this variation is affected by environment and phenotype. Additionally, how does this variation translate to population level effects on seasonal distribution and population...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Ragland Lab is interested in the process of local adaptation to changing environments, and the mechanisms underlying animal hibernation. Our goal is to understand the mechanisms and targets of natural selection, integrating studies from genomes, to physiology, to whole organism performance. Please refer to the lab website for more information: https://seasonaladaptation.org
Ed.D. • Senior Instructor • Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Integrative Biology
Education & Degrees University of Colorado Denver, Doctor of Education, Leadership for Educational Equity 2014 Walden University, Masters in Public Health, 2008 University of Colorado Denver, Masters of Arts, Biology 2003 University of Colorado Boulder, Bachelor of Arts, Environmental, Populational, Organismal Biology 1995 Courses Taught BIOL 1550&1560: Basic Biology for non-biology majors BIOL 1136: Human Biology BIOL 1111: Biology First Year Seminar BIOL 2010: General Biology II
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of ESIL Certificate • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My interests include topics in microbiology and microbial ecology. I'm currently researching the degradation of 1,4-dioxane, a potentially carcinogenic chemical, by microorganisms at a Colorado landfill. My undergraduate research was focused on microbial fuel cells, a technology to harvest electricity from microorganisms.
Research Interests: Urban and Evolutionary Ecology, specifically how urban ecological and evolutionary processes can be better understood and used to inform environmentally conscious city and land-use management. My thesis work will involve surveys of water quality within City of Denver, and more specifically along the Highline Canal, using aquatic invertebrate and plant diversity as quality indicators.
M.S. Program • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: Center around camel spider (Solifuges) systematics. My focus is in analyzing currently used characters and devising morphometrics that may shed light on a complex group of camel spiders
Interests: My doctoral work is on limber pine at treeline in Rocky Mountain National Park, determining its treeline distribution, variables associated with its occurrence there, and the viability of limber pine seeds produced across high elevations. More broadly, my research interests include remote sensing and GIS applications to landscape ecology and biogeography, and restoration ecology under changing climate.
Audrey Spencer is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate researching the systematics and biogeography of Physocarpus (ninebark), helping elucidate the origins of the flora of the Southern Rockies. She uses genomic tools to tell the biogeographic story of plants with disjunct distributions.
Ph.D. • 2022 • Dr. John Fisk, CU Denver Department of Chemistry
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: I am interested in work to expand the genetic code via incorporation of noncanonical amino acids as well as working on developing a computational model of phage infection in filamentous bacteria for the purposes of modeling phage display and delving deeper into how to reverse bacterial "curing" during a phage infection. To learn more about our research, please visit our lab's website.
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.
Joseph has graduated into the department's PhD Program. Interests: designing a novel way to extract and isolate nascent-RNA in hopes to determine the thermal sensitivity of transcription.
Research Interests: Broadly I am interested in all things related to insects and have a passion for pollinators and how they interact with their environment. My research questions use Drosophila melanogaster to answer questions about developmental plasticity and further our understanding of how insects respond to cold stress.
Interests: My research interest is in nanomedicine, that is, using nano-sized materials in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. I focus on the fabrication of chemiluminescent and fluorescent nanoparticles for use in early detection and image-guided surgery of cancer for clinical use. I also work on the development of therapeutic contact lenses coated with metal chelators for the treatment of corneal diseases.
Areas of Expertise: I use molecular systematics to refine understanding of fungal diversity, and novel phylogenetic tools to test hypotheses regarding their evolution and ecology. I am currently expanding my research into population genetics.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of Graduate Program • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative 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.
I am interested in how the evolution of ornaments conflicts with locomotor performance and fitness using stalk-eyed flies as a model system. To test for flight biomechanical costs associated with the elongated eye stalks, I film escape performance of flies in simulated predator attacks using high-speed videography.
M.S. Program • 2022 • Rebecca Hufft, Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: I am interested in using Terrestrial Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) data collected in burn scars on public lands to determine if current land management decisions are efficient in restoration efforts post- wildfire.
Expertise Areas: Since graduating with my PhD in behavioral neuroendocrinology in 1998, I have held post-doctoral appointments in several labs in several disciplines - at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy I worked on the molecular mechanisms regulating DNA replication and cell-cycle arrest; in the Division of Endocrinology at the CU Health Sciences Center, I worked on coactivators and corepressors of the progesterone receptor and their role in the regulation of breast cancer. I held a National Research Council postdoctoral research position working with the USGS on the seasonal effects of endocrine disrupters and most recently worked at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics looking at the association between behavioral disorders and genes for several neurotransmitter-associated proteins. Although I am still very interested in the interaction between environmental endocrine disrupters and seasonal reproduction and the genetic and endocrine basis of behavior, since 2002 most of my professional time has been devoted to teaching. I am fascinated by the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie behavior and physiology and thoroughly enjoy sharing that interest with students in anatomy, physiology, and exercise physiology.
Expertise Areas: Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology Education & Degrees DDS - University of Missouri in Kansas City MBA - Baker University, Baldwin City, KS BA - Creighton University, Omaha, NE Bio BBB Selected Publications PPP Courses Taught Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology
Expertise Areas: Dr. Bruederle's research interests include the evolution of species rich genera such as Carex (Cyperaceae), which comprises approximately 2000 species worldwide. He is interested specifically in the evolutionary mechanisms that facilitate speciation in this large genus. Additional interests include: plant systematics at and below the level of genus, population genetics and endemism, conservation genetics, and biogeography. He is also interested in the implementation, institutionalization, and assessment of undergraduate research.
Interests: Julie is a doctoral research fellow with the National Science Foundation. Her research interests are interdisciplinary in the fields of ecology literacy, environmental education, and ethnographic research. Through studying the intersections of ecological systems, environmental education, and socio-historical equity, she creates culturally inclusive pedagogy and equitable evaluation practices. She has extensive background experience in designing, managing, and evaluating formal and informal K-12 science education programs, as well as conducting...
Interests: I am broadly interested in understanding how plant communities respond to and interact with disturbance in forested ecosystems and how changing plant communities influence biogeochemistry, biogeography, and energy balances. Currently, I am pursuing these interests in the temperate coastal rainforest of Southeast Alaska. Please visit my professional website for more information, https://www.trevoracarter.com/
Gabrielle’s research interests include urban ecology and native wildflowers of Colorado. She is especially interested in the resiliency of native plants in the face of climate change and urbanization.
Interest: I'm interested in urban raptor ecology and the urban wildlife information network. Please visit my professional website for more information. https://www.alyssadavidge.com/
Interests: Demographics, Species Distribution Modeling, Population Genetics, Plant Conservation. The study of applied plant conservation. I conduct field research on plant population dynamics and model species distributions, population level genetic structure, and response to climate change.
Research interest: My research focuses on developing computational methods to enhance the quality of NMR data and using NMR techniques to investigate how proteins interact with RNA.
Expertise Areas: First year Experience/Success of STEM students and Health Professions Advising Education & Degrees PhD., Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, 1996 M.A., Neurophysiology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1987 B.A., Biology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1985 Bio Dr. Ferguson has been on the faculty at the University of Colorado Denver since 1985 and teaches in the Dept. of Integrative Biology. He has been nationally recognized for excellence in teaching and...
Interests: include restoration ecology, seed-based conservation, and plant ecology. Her PhD dissertation is on the ‘Implications of Local Adaptation on Seed Sourcing for North American Prairie Restoration Under Climate Change’. She conducts field, greenhouse, and genetic research on prairie restoration at Denver Botanic Gardens York St. and Chatfield Farms.
Ph.D. • 2018 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: Desert zombies, mata vendados, spawns of satan, and madre de alacranes are all colloquial names for camel spiders. Camel spiders, in the arachnid order Solifugae, are an interesting and perplexing group of arachnids distributed on all continents except Antarctica and Australia. Erika Garcia is a doctoral student based at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science working with Dr. Paula Cushing on camel spiders within the family Eremobatidae...
M.S. Program • Ackerfield, Bruederle and Ragland Lab
Department of Integrative Biology
Interest: Tiffany is a first-year master’s student and botanist advised by Dr. Jennifer Ackerfield, Dr. Leo Bruederle, and Dr. Greg Ragland. She is interested in the processes of evolution and speciation at a molecular level. Tiffany’s research involves examining the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Eutrema , specifically through the lens of chromosome duplication. She is exploring how this phenomenon contributes to within-genus diversification and distribution. Tiffany will be applying...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My science education research interests are concerned with assessing and improving how students understand biological concepts and apply scientific principles, especially concepts and principles related to ecology. I work at both the undergraduate and grades 6-12 levels. My approach to this research employs both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods. I enjoy working on large-scale, multi-faceted collaborative projects that seek to answer transformative and often complicated research questions. Thus, some of the projects I work on involve many collaborators from across the country. My goals as a science education researcher are to make discoveries that can be used for improving pedagogy and assessment in undergraduate biology education and for informing the development of national science standards and practices for K-12 education. My ecological research bridges community and ecosystem ecology to explore how plant communities and soils respond to external factors such as intensive herbivory, nutrient inputs, emerging infectious diseases, and climate change. The model system that I work on has shaped and integrated the questions that I pursue. I study the impact of introduced bubonic plague on both urban and rural black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) communities. My field research involves mostly observational studies across space and time gradients. I conduct greenhouse experiments to further explore the mechanisms underlying the broad patterns I observe in the field. Much of my research is situated in and around urban Denver, making it easily accessible to UC Denver student researchers.
Research Interests: I’m a landscape and spatial ecologist, in my 4th-year as a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Colorado Denver. I work in the intersection of paleoecology, landscape ecology, and disturbance ecology, using field, lab, and modeling tools to study how ecosystems change over space and time.
Interests: Fear extinction, stress resilience, exercise, sex differences and estrous cycle effects. My research focuses specifically on the estrous cycle modulation of fear extinction learning and memory.
Ph.D. • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My research adapts genomics tools to answer fundamental questions about the evolution of animal diversity. I focus on the regulatory control of gene expression during vertebrate development. My approach integrates functional and comparative genomics, developmental biology, and phylogenetics. My goal is to understand the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying the evolution of vertebrate morphology.
Research interests include understanding how young adults learn biological concepts using cooperative and phenomena-based approaches and how to best support teacher implementing those strategies.
Ph.D. • 2021 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
I am currently studying evolutionary relationships between camel spiders (solifuges) using phylogenomics and revising taxonomic characters used to name camel spider species. I also am interested in camel spider behavior, specifically how they locate their prey and their use of daytime retreats.
M.S. Program • 2024 • Ackerfield Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Ash Kerber is a first year Master’s student exploring the evolutionary history of rare alpine plants, specifically in the genus Polemonium, using floral scent and genetics. She plans to demonstrate how diverse alpine angiosperm adaptions can be, especially those that humans cannot see. Denver Botanic Gardens Graduate Students
Expertise Areas: Cellular and molecular neurobiology, neuropharmacology, synaptic development, hippocampal biology, general genetics, neuropsychology Education and Degrees Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical School B.S. in Biology from the University of North Dakota Bio My journey into neurobiology began in the gross anatomy cadaver lab at the University of North Dakota. This led me to start pursuing molecular neurobiology, with a specific interest in the cellular...
Expertise Areas: Science Education, Ecology Education & Degrees Ph.D., Integrative and Systems Biology, University of Colorado Denver M.S., Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville B.S., Biology, Saint Louis University Bio I am a biology education researcher who primarily focuses on multicultural science education. I study student science identities and how history, family, and community shape the ways students perceive life experiences and their place in science. Additional biology education interests...
Expertise: Biomolecular NMR, Protein Structure and Function, Integrative Structural Biology, Infectious Disease, AI/ML, Automated NMR Analysis, Integrated Software, Big Data
M.S. Program • 2023 • Greene/Wilson Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
I'm interested in plant-fungal relationships. My thesis project is documenting the diversity of fungi associated with two plants that utilize carbon sourced from fungi.
Areas of Expertise: My content area of expertise and teaching focus are in immunology (and introduction to biology outside of UC, Denver). My interests in science education focus on creating more engaging, active learning approaches that increase equity and inclusion in learning and in the learning community. Currently, I am evaluating the contributions of Flip video assignments through qualitative and quantitative measures. Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is a free, simple video...
My research in behavioral neuroscience examines sex differences in stress resistance factors like exercise. Currently, I am investigating the neural circuits that mediate exercise-induced stress resistance in male and female rodents.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Miller lab develops and uses bioinformatic and genome-enabled approaches to study microbial communities. With the advent of new sequencing technologies, one can sequence billions or trillions of base pairs of DNA for relatively little money. One of the most powerful applications of this new economy is the direct sequencing of microbial DNA and RNA from the environment. The combination of deep sequencing and bioinformatics reveals that even “simple” natural microbial communities are in fact quite complex. The Miller lab is interested in understanding this complexity at a systems level for microbial communities relevant to the environment, bioenergy production, and human health and disease.
PhD • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: Evolutionary ecology, eco-physiology, global change, comparative methods, citizen science Education & Degrees PhD – Case Western Reserve University 2019 MS – Murray State University 2014 BS – Gonzaga University 2011 Bio Dr. Moore studies physiological and developmental limits on evolution. His research with dragonflies and amphibians details why organisms have been able to adapt to some environments but not others. This work also helps us predict the ways...
Interests: I am interested in self-organization and its intersection in social insects (ants) and neuroscience. Both are centerless systems which nonetheless exhibit flexible, directed behavior which arises from their constitutive parts. My research centers on recruitment and warfare in the pavement ant Tetramorium immigrans , a widespread tramp species across Europe and North America.
Research Interest: I am interested in evolutionary ecology, animal behavior, and wildlife conservation through the lens of global change. I am driven to explore how wildfire and extreme events affect wildlife populations. Currently, I am researching how habitats burned by wildfire impact the sexually selected traits of dragonflies.
Expertise Areas: Plant Sciences Education and Degrees Postdoctoral Fellow , Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany PhD. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. MS. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. BA. Biology , Macalester College. Bio I am a plant molecular systematist and evolutionary biologist. I am interested in evolutionary relationships at the border of species and populations and have studied both the pantropical understory shrub genus Psychotria (Rubiaceae) and Hawaiian...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My broad research interests include animal population dynamics and behavioral ecology. Currently, my research focuses on migratory ecology and demography of an inland breeding shorebird of conservation interest, the Mountain Plover. I am interested in how migration strategies vary between individuals across the landscape and how this variation is affected by environment and phenotype. Additionally, how does this variation translate to population level effects on seasonal distribution and population...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Ragland Lab is interested in the process of local adaptation to changing environments, and the mechanisms underlying animal hibernation. Our goal is to understand the mechanisms and targets of natural selection, integrating studies from genomes, to physiology, to whole organism performance. Please refer to the lab website for more information: https://seasonaladaptation.org
Ed.D. • Senior Instructor • Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Integrative Biology
Education & Degrees University of Colorado Denver, Doctor of Education, Leadership for Educational Equity 2014 Walden University, Masters in Public Health, 2008 University of Colorado Denver, Masters of Arts, Biology 2003 University of Colorado Boulder, Bachelor of Arts, Environmental, Populational, Organismal Biology 1995 Courses Taught BIOL 1550&1560: Basic Biology for non-biology majors BIOL 1136: Human Biology BIOL 1111: Biology First Year Seminar BIOL 2010: General Biology II
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of ESIL Certificate • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My interests include topics in microbiology and microbial ecology. I'm currently researching the degradation of 1,4-dioxane, a potentially carcinogenic chemical, by microorganisms at a Colorado landfill. My undergraduate research was focused on microbial fuel cells, a technology to harvest electricity from microorganisms.
Research Interests: Urban and Evolutionary Ecology, specifically how urban ecological and evolutionary processes can be better understood and used to inform environmentally conscious city and land-use management. My thesis work will involve surveys of water quality within City of Denver, and more specifically along the Highline Canal, using aquatic invertebrate and plant diversity as quality indicators.
M.S. Program • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: Center around camel spider (Solifuges) systematics. My focus is in analyzing currently used characters and devising morphometrics that may shed light on a complex group of camel spiders
Interests: My doctoral work is on limber pine at treeline in Rocky Mountain National Park, determining its treeline distribution, variables associated with its occurrence there, and the viability of limber pine seeds produced across high elevations. More broadly, my research interests include remote sensing and GIS applications to landscape ecology and biogeography, and restoration ecology under changing climate.
Audrey Spencer is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate researching the systematics and biogeography of Physocarpus (ninebark), helping elucidate the origins of the flora of the Southern Rockies. She uses genomic tools to tell the biogeographic story of plants with disjunct distributions.
Ph.D. • 2022 • Dr. John Fisk, CU Denver Department of Chemistry
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: I am interested in work to expand the genetic code via incorporation of noncanonical amino acids as well as working on developing a computational model of phage infection in filamentous bacteria for the purposes of modeling phage display and delving deeper into how to reverse bacterial "curing" during a phage infection. To learn more about our research, please visit our lab's website.
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.
Joseph has graduated into the department's PhD Program. Interests: designing a novel way to extract and isolate nascent-RNA in hopes to determine the thermal sensitivity of transcription.
Research Interests: Broadly I am interested in all things related to insects and have a passion for pollinators and how they interact with their environment. My research questions use Drosophila melanogaster to answer questions about developmental plasticity and further our understanding of how insects respond to cold stress.
Interests: My research interest is in nanomedicine, that is, using nano-sized materials in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. I focus on the fabrication of chemiluminescent and fluorescent nanoparticles for use in early detection and image-guided surgery of cancer for clinical use. I also work on the development of therapeutic contact lenses coated with metal chelators for the treatment of corneal diseases.
Areas of Expertise: I use molecular systematics to refine understanding of fungal diversity, and novel phylogenetic tools to test hypotheses regarding their evolution and ecology. I am currently expanding my research into population genetics.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of Graduate Program • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative 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.
I am interested in how the evolution of ornaments conflicts with locomotor performance and fitness using stalk-eyed flies as a model system. To test for flight biomechanical costs associated with the elongated eye stalks, I film escape performance of flies in simulated predator attacks using high-speed videography.
M.S. Program • 2022 • Rebecca Hufft, Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: I am interested in using Terrestrial Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) data collected in burn scars on public lands to determine if current land management decisions are efficient in restoration efforts post- wildfire.
Expertise Areas: Since graduating with my PhD in behavioral neuroendocrinology in 1998, I have held post-doctoral appointments in several labs in several disciplines - at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy I worked on the molecular mechanisms regulating DNA replication and cell-cycle arrest; in the Division of Endocrinology at the CU Health Sciences Center, I worked on coactivators and corepressors of the progesterone receptor and their role in the regulation of breast cancer. I held a National Research Council postdoctoral research position working with the USGS on the seasonal effects of endocrine disrupters and most recently worked at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics looking at the association between behavioral disorders and genes for several neurotransmitter-associated proteins. Although I am still very interested in the interaction between environmental endocrine disrupters and seasonal reproduction and the genetic and endocrine basis of behavior, since 2002 most of my professional time has been devoted to teaching. I am fascinated by the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie behavior and physiology and thoroughly enjoy sharing that interest with students in anatomy, physiology, and exercise physiology.
Expertise Areas: Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology Education & Degrees DDS - University of Missouri in Kansas City MBA - Baker University, Baldwin City, KS BA - Creighton University, Omaha, NE Bio BBB Selected Publications PPP Courses Taught Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology
Expertise Areas: Dr. Bruederle's research interests include the evolution of species rich genera such as Carex (Cyperaceae), which comprises approximately 2000 species worldwide. He is interested specifically in the evolutionary mechanisms that facilitate speciation in this large genus. Additional interests include: plant systematics at and below the level of genus, population genetics and endemism, conservation genetics, and biogeography. He is also interested in the implementation, institutionalization, and assessment of undergraduate research.
Interests: Julie is a doctoral research fellow with the National Science Foundation. Her research interests are interdisciplinary in the fields of ecology literacy, environmental education, and ethnographic research. Through studying the intersections of ecological systems, environmental education, and socio-historical equity, she creates culturally inclusive pedagogy and equitable evaluation practices. She has extensive background experience in designing, managing, and evaluating formal and informal K-12 science education programs, as well as conducting...
Interests: I am broadly interested in understanding how plant communities respond to and interact with disturbance in forested ecosystems and how changing plant communities influence biogeochemistry, biogeography, and energy balances. Currently, I am pursuing these interests in the temperate coastal rainforest of Southeast Alaska. Please visit my professional website for more information, https://www.trevoracarter.com/
Gabrielle’s research interests include urban ecology and native wildflowers of Colorado. She is especially interested in the resiliency of native plants in the face of climate change and urbanization.
Interest: I'm interested in urban raptor ecology and the urban wildlife information network. Please visit my professional website for more information. https://www.alyssadavidge.com/
Interests: Demographics, Species Distribution Modeling, Population Genetics, Plant Conservation. The study of applied plant conservation. I conduct field research on plant population dynamics and model species distributions, population level genetic structure, and response to climate change.
Research interest: My research focuses on developing computational methods to enhance the quality of NMR data and using NMR techniques to investigate how proteins interact with RNA.
Expertise Areas: First year Experience/Success of STEM students and Health Professions Advising Education & Degrees PhD., Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, 1996 M.A., Neurophysiology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1987 B.A., Biology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1985 Bio Dr. Ferguson has been on the faculty at the University of Colorado Denver since 1985 and teaches in the Dept. of Integrative Biology. He has been nationally recognized for excellence in teaching and...
Interests: include restoration ecology, seed-based conservation, and plant ecology. Her PhD dissertation is on the ‘Implications of Local Adaptation on Seed Sourcing for North American Prairie Restoration Under Climate Change’. She conducts field, greenhouse, and genetic research on prairie restoration at Denver Botanic Gardens York St. and Chatfield Farms.
Ph.D. • 2018 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: Desert zombies, mata vendados, spawns of satan, and madre de alacranes are all colloquial names for camel spiders. Camel spiders, in the arachnid order Solifugae, are an interesting and perplexing group of arachnids distributed on all continents except Antarctica and Australia. Erika Garcia is a doctoral student based at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science working with Dr. Paula Cushing on camel spiders within the family Eremobatidae...
M.S. Program • Ackerfield, Bruederle and Ragland Lab
Department of Integrative Biology
Interest: Tiffany is a first-year master’s student and botanist advised by Dr. Jennifer Ackerfield, Dr. Leo Bruederle, and Dr. Greg Ragland. She is interested in the processes of evolution and speciation at a molecular level. Tiffany’s research involves examining the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Eutrema , specifically through the lens of chromosome duplication. She is exploring how this phenomenon contributes to within-genus diversification and distribution. Tiffany will be applying...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My science education research interests are concerned with assessing and improving how students understand biological concepts and apply scientific principles, especially concepts and principles related to ecology. I work at both the undergraduate and grades 6-12 levels. My approach to this research employs both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods. I enjoy working on large-scale, multi-faceted collaborative projects that seek to answer transformative and often complicated research questions. Thus, some of the projects I work on involve many collaborators from across the country. My goals as a science education researcher are to make discoveries that can be used for improving pedagogy and assessment in undergraduate biology education and for informing the development of national science standards and practices for K-12 education. My ecological research bridges community and ecosystem ecology to explore how plant communities and soils respond to external factors such as intensive herbivory, nutrient inputs, emerging infectious diseases, and climate change. The model system that I work on has shaped and integrated the questions that I pursue. I study the impact of introduced bubonic plague on both urban and rural black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) communities. My field research involves mostly observational studies across space and time gradients. I conduct greenhouse experiments to further explore the mechanisms underlying the broad patterns I observe in the field. Much of my research is situated in and around urban Denver, making it easily accessible to UC Denver student researchers.
Research Interests: I’m a landscape and spatial ecologist, in my 4th-year as a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Colorado Denver. I work in the intersection of paleoecology, landscape ecology, and disturbance ecology, using field, lab, and modeling tools to study how ecosystems change over space and time.
Interests: Fear extinction, stress resilience, exercise, sex differences and estrous cycle effects. My research focuses specifically on the estrous cycle modulation of fear extinction learning and memory.
Ph.D. • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My research adapts genomics tools to answer fundamental questions about the evolution of animal diversity. I focus on the regulatory control of gene expression during vertebrate development. My approach integrates functional and comparative genomics, developmental biology, and phylogenetics. My goal is to understand the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying the evolution of vertebrate morphology.
Research interests include understanding how young adults learn biological concepts using cooperative and phenomena-based approaches and how to best support teacher implementing those strategies.
Ph.D. • 2021 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
I am currently studying evolutionary relationships between camel spiders (solifuges) using phylogenomics and revising taxonomic characters used to name camel spider species. I also am interested in camel spider behavior, specifically how they locate their prey and their use of daytime retreats.
M.S. Program • 2024 • Ackerfield Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Ash Kerber is a first year Master’s student exploring the evolutionary history of rare alpine plants, specifically in the genus Polemonium, using floral scent and genetics. She plans to demonstrate how diverse alpine angiosperm adaptions can be, especially those that humans cannot see. Denver Botanic Gardens Graduate Students
Expertise Areas: Cellular and molecular neurobiology, neuropharmacology, synaptic development, hippocampal biology, general genetics, neuropsychology Education and Degrees Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical School B.S. in Biology from the University of North Dakota Bio My journey into neurobiology began in the gross anatomy cadaver lab at the University of North Dakota. This led me to start pursuing molecular neurobiology, with a specific interest in the cellular...
Expertise Areas: Science Education, Ecology Education & Degrees Ph.D., Integrative and Systems Biology, University of Colorado Denver M.S., Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville B.S., Biology, Saint Louis University Bio I am a biology education researcher who primarily focuses on multicultural science education. I study student science identities and how history, family, and community shape the ways students perceive life experiences and their place in science. Additional biology education interests...
Expertise: Biomolecular NMR, Protein Structure and Function, Integrative Structural Biology, Infectious Disease, AI/ML, Automated NMR Analysis, Integrated Software, Big Data
M.S. Program • 2023 • Greene/Wilson Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
I'm interested in plant-fungal relationships. My thesis project is documenting the diversity of fungi associated with two plants that utilize carbon sourced from fungi.
Areas of Expertise: My content area of expertise and teaching focus are in immunology (and introduction to biology outside of UC, Denver). My interests in science education focus on creating more engaging, active learning approaches that increase equity and inclusion in learning and in the learning community. Currently, I am evaluating the contributions of Flip video assignments through qualitative and quantitative measures. Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is a free, simple video...
My research in behavioral neuroscience examines sex differences in stress resistance factors like exercise. Currently, I am investigating the neural circuits that mediate exercise-induced stress resistance in male and female rodents.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Miller lab develops and uses bioinformatic and genome-enabled approaches to study microbial communities. With the advent of new sequencing technologies, one can sequence billions or trillions of base pairs of DNA for relatively little money. One of the most powerful applications of this new economy is the direct sequencing of microbial DNA and RNA from the environment. The combination of deep sequencing and bioinformatics reveals that even “simple” natural microbial communities are in fact quite complex. The Miller lab is interested in understanding this complexity at a systems level for microbial communities relevant to the environment, bioenergy production, and human health and disease.
PhD • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: Evolutionary ecology, eco-physiology, global change, comparative methods, citizen science Education & Degrees PhD – Case Western Reserve University 2019 MS – Murray State University 2014 BS – Gonzaga University 2011 Bio Dr. Moore studies physiological and developmental limits on evolution. His research with dragonflies and amphibians details why organisms have been able to adapt to some environments but not others. This work also helps us predict the ways...
Interests: I am interested in self-organization and its intersection in social insects (ants) and neuroscience. Both are centerless systems which nonetheless exhibit flexible, directed behavior which arises from their constitutive parts. My research centers on recruitment and warfare in the pavement ant Tetramorium immigrans , a widespread tramp species across Europe and North America.
Research Interest: I am interested in evolutionary ecology, animal behavior, and wildlife conservation through the lens of global change. I am driven to explore how wildfire and extreme events affect wildlife populations. Currently, I am researching how habitats burned by wildfire impact the sexually selected traits of dragonflies.
Expertise Areas: Plant Sciences Education and Degrees Postdoctoral Fellow , Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany PhD. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. MS. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. BA. Biology , Macalester College. Bio I am a plant molecular systematist and evolutionary biologist. I am interested in evolutionary relationships at the border of species and populations and have studied both the pantropical understory shrub genus Psychotria (Rubiaceae) and Hawaiian...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My broad research interests include animal population dynamics and behavioral ecology. Currently, my research focuses on migratory ecology and demography of an inland breeding shorebird of conservation interest, the Mountain Plover. I am interested in how migration strategies vary between individuals across the landscape and how this variation is affected by environment and phenotype. Additionally, how does this variation translate to population level effects on seasonal distribution and population...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Ragland Lab is interested in the process of local adaptation to changing environments, and the mechanisms underlying animal hibernation. Our goal is to understand the mechanisms and targets of natural selection, integrating studies from genomes, to physiology, to whole organism performance. Please refer to the lab website for more information: https://seasonaladaptation.org
Ed.D. • Senior Instructor • Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Integrative Biology
Education & Degrees University of Colorado Denver, Doctor of Education, Leadership for Educational Equity 2014 Walden University, Masters in Public Health, 2008 University of Colorado Denver, Masters of Arts, Biology 2003 University of Colorado Boulder, Bachelor of Arts, Environmental, Populational, Organismal Biology 1995 Courses Taught BIOL 1550&1560: Basic Biology for non-biology majors BIOL 1136: Human Biology BIOL 1111: Biology First Year Seminar BIOL 2010: General Biology II
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of ESIL Certificate • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My interests include topics in microbiology and microbial ecology. I'm currently researching the degradation of 1,4-dioxane, a potentially carcinogenic chemical, by microorganisms at a Colorado landfill. My undergraduate research was focused on microbial fuel cells, a technology to harvest electricity from microorganisms.
Research Interests: Urban and Evolutionary Ecology, specifically how urban ecological and evolutionary processes can be better understood and used to inform environmentally conscious city and land-use management. My thesis work will involve surveys of water quality within City of Denver, and more specifically along the Highline Canal, using aquatic invertebrate and plant diversity as quality indicators.
M.S. Program • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: Center around camel spider (Solifuges) systematics. My focus is in analyzing currently used characters and devising morphometrics that may shed light on a complex group of camel spiders
Interests: My doctoral work is on limber pine at treeline in Rocky Mountain National Park, determining its treeline distribution, variables associated with its occurrence there, and the viability of limber pine seeds produced across high elevations. More broadly, my research interests include remote sensing and GIS applications to landscape ecology and biogeography, and restoration ecology under changing climate.
Audrey Spencer is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate researching the systematics and biogeography of Physocarpus (ninebark), helping elucidate the origins of the flora of the Southern Rockies. She uses genomic tools to tell the biogeographic story of plants with disjunct distributions.
Ph.D. • 2022 • Dr. John Fisk, CU Denver Department of Chemistry
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: I am interested in work to expand the genetic code via incorporation of noncanonical amino acids as well as working on developing a computational model of phage infection in filamentous bacteria for the purposes of modeling phage display and delving deeper into how to reverse bacterial "curing" during a phage infection. To learn more about our research, please visit our lab's website.
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.
Joseph has graduated into the department's PhD Program. Interests: designing a novel way to extract and isolate nascent-RNA in hopes to determine the thermal sensitivity of transcription.
Research Interests: Broadly I am interested in all things related to insects and have a passion for pollinators and how they interact with their environment. My research questions use Drosophila melanogaster to answer questions about developmental plasticity and further our understanding of how insects respond to cold stress.
Interests: My research interest is in nanomedicine, that is, using nano-sized materials in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. I focus on the fabrication of chemiluminescent and fluorescent nanoparticles for use in early detection and image-guided surgery of cancer for clinical use. I also work on the development of therapeutic contact lenses coated with metal chelators for the treatment of corneal diseases.
Areas of Expertise: I use molecular systematics to refine understanding of fungal diversity, and novel phylogenetic tools to test hypotheses regarding their evolution and ecology. I am currently expanding my research into population genetics.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of Graduate Program • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative 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.
I am interested in how the evolution of ornaments conflicts with locomotor performance and fitness using stalk-eyed flies as a model system. To test for flight biomechanical costs associated with the elongated eye stalks, I film escape performance of flies in simulated predator attacks using high-speed videography.
M.S. Program • 2022 • Rebecca Hufft, Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: I am interested in using Terrestrial Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) data collected in burn scars on public lands to determine if current land management decisions are efficient in restoration efforts post- wildfire.
Expertise Areas: Since graduating with my PhD in behavioral neuroendocrinology in 1998, I have held post-doctoral appointments in several labs in several disciplines - at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy I worked on the molecular mechanisms regulating DNA replication and cell-cycle arrest; in the Division of Endocrinology at the CU Health Sciences Center, I worked on coactivators and corepressors of the progesterone receptor and their role in the regulation of breast cancer. I held a National Research Council postdoctoral research position working with the USGS on the seasonal effects of endocrine disrupters and most recently worked at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics looking at the association between behavioral disorders and genes for several neurotransmitter-associated proteins. Although I am still very interested in the interaction between environmental endocrine disrupters and seasonal reproduction and the genetic and endocrine basis of behavior, since 2002 most of my professional time has been devoted to teaching. I am fascinated by the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie behavior and physiology and thoroughly enjoy sharing that interest with students in anatomy, physiology, and exercise physiology.
Expertise Areas: Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology Education & Degrees DDS - University of Missouri in Kansas City MBA - Baker University, Baldwin City, KS BA - Creighton University, Omaha, NE Bio BBB Selected Publications PPP Courses Taught Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology
Expertise Areas: Dr. Bruederle's research interests include the evolution of species rich genera such as Carex (Cyperaceae), which comprises approximately 2000 species worldwide. He is interested specifically in the evolutionary mechanisms that facilitate speciation in this large genus. Additional interests include: plant systematics at and below the level of genus, population genetics and endemism, conservation genetics, and biogeography. He is also interested in the implementation, institutionalization, and assessment of undergraduate research.
Interests: Julie is a doctoral research fellow with the National Science Foundation. Her research interests are interdisciplinary in the fields of ecology literacy, environmental education, and ethnographic research. Through studying the intersections of ecological systems, environmental education, and socio-historical equity, she creates culturally inclusive pedagogy and equitable evaluation practices. She has extensive background experience in designing, managing, and evaluating formal and informal K-12 science education programs, as well as conducting...
Interests: I am broadly interested in understanding how plant communities respond to and interact with disturbance in forested ecosystems and how changing plant communities influence biogeochemistry, biogeography, and energy balances. Currently, I am pursuing these interests in the temperate coastal rainforest of Southeast Alaska. Please visit my professional website for more information, https://www.trevoracarter.com/
Gabrielle’s research interests include urban ecology and native wildflowers of Colorado. She is especially interested in the resiliency of native plants in the face of climate change and urbanization.
Interest: I'm interested in urban raptor ecology and the urban wildlife information network. Please visit my professional website for more information. https://www.alyssadavidge.com/
Interests: Demographics, Species Distribution Modeling, Population Genetics, Plant Conservation. The study of applied plant conservation. I conduct field research on plant population dynamics and model species distributions, population level genetic structure, and response to climate change.
Research interest: My research focuses on developing computational methods to enhance the quality of NMR data and using NMR techniques to investigate how proteins interact with RNA.
Expertise Areas: First year Experience/Success of STEM students and Health Professions Advising Education & Degrees PhD., Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, 1996 M.A., Neurophysiology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1987 B.A., Biology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1985 Bio Dr. Ferguson has been on the faculty at the University of Colorado Denver since 1985 and teaches in the Dept. of Integrative Biology. He has been nationally recognized for excellence in teaching and...
Interests: include restoration ecology, seed-based conservation, and plant ecology. Her PhD dissertation is on the ‘Implications of Local Adaptation on Seed Sourcing for North American Prairie Restoration Under Climate Change’. She conducts field, greenhouse, and genetic research on prairie restoration at Denver Botanic Gardens York St. and Chatfield Farms.
Ph.D. • 2018 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: Desert zombies, mata vendados, spawns of satan, and madre de alacranes are all colloquial names for camel spiders. Camel spiders, in the arachnid order Solifugae, are an interesting and perplexing group of arachnids distributed on all continents except Antarctica and Australia. Erika Garcia is a doctoral student based at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science working with Dr. Paula Cushing on camel spiders within the family Eremobatidae...
M.S. Program • Ackerfield, Bruederle and Ragland Lab
Department of Integrative Biology
Interest: Tiffany is a first-year master’s student and botanist advised by Dr. Jennifer Ackerfield, Dr. Leo Bruederle, and Dr. Greg Ragland. She is interested in the processes of evolution and speciation at a molecular level. Tiffany’s research involves examining the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Eutrema , specifically through the lens of chromosome duplication. She is exploring how this phenomenon contributes to within-genus diversification and distribution. Tiffany will be applying...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My science education research interests are concerned with assessing and improving how students understand biological concepts and apply scientific principles, especially concepts and principles related to ecology. I work at both the undergraduate and grades 6-12 levels. My approach to this research employs both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods. I enjoy working on large-scale, multi-faceted collaborative projects that seek to answer transformative and often complicated research questions. Thus, some of the projects I work on involve many collaborators from across the country. My goals as a science education researcher are to make discoveries that can be used for improving pedagogy and assessment in undergraduate biology education and for informing the development of national science standards and practices for K-12 education. My ecological research bridges community and ecosystem ecology to explore how plant communities and soils respond to external factors such as intensive herbivory, nutrient inputs, emerging infectious diseases, and climate change. The model system that I work on has shaped and integrated the questions that I pursue. I study the impact of introduced bubonic plague on both urban and rural black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) communities. My field research involves mostly observational studies across space and time gradients. I conduct greenhouse experiments to further explore the mechanisms underlying the broad patterns I observe in the field. Much of my research is situated in and around urban Denver, making it easily accessible to UC Denver student researchers.
Research Interests: I’m a landscape and spatial ecologist, in my 4th-year as a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Colorado Denver. I work in the intersection of paleoecology, landscape ecology, and disturbance ecology, using field, lab, and modeling tools to study how ecosystems change over space and time.
Interests: Fear extinction, stress resilience, exercise, sex differences and estrous cycle effects. My research focuses specifically on the estrous cycle modulation of fear extinction learning and memory.
Ph.D. • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My research adapts genomics tools to answer fundamental questions about the evolution of animal diversity. I focus on the regulatory control of gene expression during vertebrate development. My approach integrates functional and comparative genomics, developmental biology, and phylogenetics. My goal is to understand the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying the evolution of vertebrate morphology.
Research interests include understanding how young adults learn biological concepts using cooperative and phenomena-based approaches and how to best support teacher implementing those strategies.
Ph.D. • 2021 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
I am currently studying evolutionary relationships between camel spiders (solifuges) using phylogenomics and revising taxonomic characters used to name camel spider species. I also am interested in camel spider behavior, specifically how they locate their prey and their use of daytime retreats.
M.S. Program • 2024 • Ackerfield Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Ash Kerber is a first year Master’s student exploring the evolutionary history of rare alpine plants, specifically in the genus Polemonium, using floral scent and genetics. She plans to demonstrate how diverse alpine angiosperm adaptions can be, especially those that humans cannot see. Denver Botanic Gardens Graduate Students
Expertise Areas: Cellular and molecular neurobiology, neuropharmacology, synaptic development, hippocampal biology, general genetics, neuropsychology Education and Degrees Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical School B.S. in Biology from the University of North Dakota Bio My journey into neurobiology began in the gross anatomy cadaver lab at the University of North Dakota. This led me to start pursuing molecular neurobiology, with a specific interest in the cellular...
Expertise Areas: Science Education, Ecology Education & Degrees Ph.D., Integrative and Systems Biology, University of Colorado Denver M.S., Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville B.S., Biology, Saint Louis University Bio I am a biology education researcher who primarily focuses on multicultural science education. I study student science identities and how history, family, and community shape the ways students perceive life experiences and their place in science. Additional biology education interests...
Expertise: Biomolecular NMR, Protein Structure and Function, Integrative Structural Biology, Infectious Disease, AI/ML, Automated NMR Analysis, Integrated Software, Big Data
M.S. Program • 2023 • Greene/Wilson Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
I'm interested in plant-fungal relationships. My thesis project is documenting the diversity of fungi associated with two plants that utilize carbon sourced from fungi.
Areas of Expertise: My content area of expertise and teaching focus are in immunology (and introduction to biology outside of UC, Denver). My interests in science education focus on creating more engaging, active learning approaches that increase equity and inclusion in learning and in the learning community. Currently, I am evaluating the contributions of Flip video assignments through qualitative and quantitative measures. Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is a free, simple video...
My research in behavioral neuroscience examines sex differences in stress resistance factors like exercise. Currently, I am investigating the neural circuits that mediate exercise-induced stress resistance in male and female rodents.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Miller lab develops and uses bioinformatic and genome-enabled approaches to study microbial communities. With the advent of new sequencing technologies, one can sequence billions or trillions of base pairs of DNA for relatively little money. One of the most powerful applications of this new economy is the direct sequencing of microbial DNA and RNA from the environment. The combination of deep sequencing and bioinformatics reveals that even “simple” natural microbial communities are in fact quite complex. The Miller lab is interested in understanding this complexity at a systems level for microbial communities relevant to the environment, bioenergy production, and human health and disease.
PhD • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: Evolutionary ecology, eco-physiology, global change, comparative methods, citizen science Education & Degrees PhD – Case Western Reserve University 2019 MS – Murray State University 2014 BS – Gonzaga University 2011 Bio Dr. Moore studies physiological and developmental limits on evolution. His research with dragonflies and amphibians details why organisms have been able to adapt to some environments but not others. This work also helps us predict the ways...
Interests: I am interested in self-organization and its intersection in social insects (ants) and neuroscience. Both are centerless systems which nonetheless exhibit flexible, directed behavior which arises from their constitutive parts. My research centers on recruitment and warfare in the pavement ant Tetramorium immigrans , a widespread tramp species across Europe and North America.
Research Interest: I am interested in evolutionary ecology, animal behavior, and wildlife conservation through the lens of global change. I am driven to explore how wildfire and extreme events affect wildlife populations. Currently, I am researching how habitats burned by wildfire impact the sexually selected traits of dragonflies.
Expertise Areas: Plant Sciences Education and Degrees Postdoctoral Fellow , Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany PhD. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. MS. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. BA. Biology , Macalester College. Bio I am a plant molecular systematist and evolutionary biologist. I am interested in evolutionary relationships at the border of species and populations and have studied both the pantropical understory shrub genus Psychotria (Rubiaceae) and Hawaiian...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My broad research interests include animal population dynamics and behavioral ecology. Currently, my research focuses on migratory ecology and demography of an inland breeding shorebird of conservation interest, the Mountain Plover. I am interested in how migration strategies vary between individuals across the landscape and how this variation is affected by environment and phenotype. Additionally, how does this variation translate to population level effects on seasonal distribution and population...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Ragland Lab is interested in the process of local adaptation to changing environments, and the mechanisms underlying animal hibernation. Our goal is to understand the mechanisms and targets of natural selection, integrating studies from genomes, to physiology, to whole organism performance. Please refer to the lab website for more information: https://seasonaladaptation.org
Ed.D. • Senior Instructor • Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Integrative Biology
Education & Degrees University of Colorado Denver, Doctor of Education, Leadership for Educational Equity 2014 Walden University, Masters in Public Health, 2008 University of Colorado Denver, Masters of Arts, Biology 2003 University of Colorado Boulder, Bachelor of Arts, Environmental, Populational, Organismal Biology 1995 Courses Taught BIOL 1550&1560: Basic Biology for non-biology majors BIOL 1136: Human Biology BIOL 1111: Biology First Year Seminar BIOL 2010: General Biology II
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of ESIL Certificate • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My interests include topics in microbiology and microbial ecology. I'm currently researching the degradation of 1,4-dioxane, a potentially carcinogenic chemical, by microorganisms at a Colorado landfill. My undergraduate research was focused on microbial fuel cells, a technology to harvest electricity from microorganisms.
Research Interests: Urban and Evolutionary Ecology, specifically how urban ecological and evolutionary processes can be better understood and used to inform environmentally conscious city and land-use management. My thesis work will involve surveys of water quality within City of Denver, and more specifically along the Highline Canal, using aquatic invertebrate and plant diversity as quality indicators.
M.S. Program • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: Center around camel spider (Solifuges) systematics. My focus is in analyzing currently used characters and devising morphometrics that may shed light on a complex group of camel spiders
Interests: My doctoral work is on limber pine at treeline in Rocky Mountain National Park, determining its treeline distribution, variables associated with its occurrence there, and the viability of limber pine seeds produced across high elevations. More broadly, my research interests include remote sensing and GIS applications to landscape ecology and biogeography, and restoration ecology under changing climate.
Audrey Spencer is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate researching the systematics and biogeography of Physocarpus (ninebark), helping elucidate the origins of the flora of the Southern Rockies. She uses genomic tools to tell the biogeographic story of plants with disjunct distributions.
Ph.D. • 2022 • Dr. John Fisk, CU Denver Department of Chemistry
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: I am interested in work to expand the genetic code via incorporation of noncanonical amino acids as well as working on developing a computational model of phage infection in filamentous bacteria for the purposes of modeling phage display and delving deeper into how to reverse bacterial "curing" during a phage infection. To learn more about our research, please visit our lab's website.
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.
Joseph has graduated into the department's PhD Program. Interests: designing a novel way to extract and isolate nascent-RNA in hopes to determine the thermal sensitivity of transcription.
Research Interests: Broadly I am interested in all things related to insects and have a passion for pollinators and how they interact with their environment. My research questions use Drosophila melanogaster to answer questions about developmental plasticity and further our understanding of how insects respond to cold stress.
Interests: My research interest is in nanomedicine, that is, using nano-sized materials in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. I focus on the fabrication of chemiluminescent and fluorescent nanoparticles for use in early detection and image-guided surgery of cancer for clinical use. I also work on the development of therapeutic contact lenses coated with metal chelators for the treatment of corneal diseases.
Areas of Expertise: I use molecular systematics to refine understanding of fungal diversity, and novel phylogenetic tools to test hypotheses regarding their evolution and ecology. I am currently expanding my research into population genetics.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of Graduate Program • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative 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.
I am interested in how the evolution of ornaments conflicts with locomotor performance and fitness using stalk-eyed flies as a model system. To test for flight biomechanical costs associated with the elongated eye stalks, I film escape performance of flies in simulated predator attacks using high-speed videography.
M.S. Program • 2022 • Rebecca Hufft, Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: I am interested in using Terrestrial Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) data collected in burn scars on public lands to determine if current land management decisions are efficient in restoration efforts post- wildfire.
Expertise Areas: Since graduating with my PhD in behavioral neuroendocrinology in 1998, I have held post-doctoral appointments in several labs in several disciplines - at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy I worked on the molecular mechanisms regulating DNA replication and cell-cycle arrest; in the Division of Endocrinology at the CU Health Sciences Center, I worked on coactivators and corepressors of the progesterone receptor and their role in the regulation of breast cancer. I held a National Research Council postdoctoral research position working with the USGS on the seasonal effects of endocrine disrupters and most recently worked at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics looking at the association between behavioral disorders and genes for several neurotransmitter-associated proteins. Although I am still very interested in the interaction between environmental endocrine disrupters and seasonal reproduction and the genetic and endocrine basis of behavior, since 2002 most of my professional time has been devoted to teaching. I am fascinated by the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie behavior and physiology and thoroughly enjoy sharing that interest with students in anatomy, physiology, and exercise physiology.
Expertise Areas: Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology Education & Degrees DDS - University of Missouri in Kansas City MBA - Baker University, Baldwin City, KS BA - Creighton University, Omaha, NE Bio BBB Selected Publications PPP Courses Taught Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology
Expertise Areas: Dr. Bruederle's research interests include the evolution of species rich genera such as Carex (Cyperaceae), which comprises approximately 2000 species worldwide. He is interested specifically in the evolutionary mechanisms that facilitate speciation in this large genus. Additional interests include: plant systematics at and below the level of genus, population genetics and endemism, conservation genetics, and biogeography. He is also interested in the implementation, institutionalization, and assessment of undergraduate research.
Interests: Julie is a doctoral research fellow with the National Science Foundation. Her research interests are interdisciplinary in the fields of ecology literacy, environmental education, and ethnographic research. Through studying the intersections of ecological systems, environmental education, and socio-historical equity, she creates culturally inclusive pedagogy and equitable evaluation practices. She has extensive background experience in designing, managing, and evaluating formal and informal K-12 science education programs, as well as conducting...
Interests: I am broadly interested in understanding how plant communities respond to and interact with disturbance in forested ecosystems and how changing plant communities influence biogeochemistry, biogeography, and energy balances. Currently, I am pursuing these interests in the temperate coastal rainforest of Southeast Alaska. Please visit my professional website for more information, https://www.trevoracarter.com/
Gabrielle’s research interests include urban ecology and native wildflowers of Colorado. She is especially interested in the resiliency of native plants in the face of climate change and urbanization.
Interest: I'm interested in urban raptor ecology and the urban wildlife information network. Please visit my professional website for more information. https://www.alyssadavidge.com/
Interests: Demographics, Species Distribution Modeling, Population Genetics, Plant Conservation. The study of applied plant conservation. I conduct field research on plant population dynamics and model species distributions, population level genetic structure, and response to climate change.
Research interest: My research focuses on developing computational methods to enhance the quality of NMR data and using NMR techniques to investigate how proteins interact with RNA.
Expertise Areas: First year Experience/Success of STEM students and Health Professions Advising Education & Degrees PhD., Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, 1996 M.A., Neurophysiology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1987 B.A., Biology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1985 Bio Dr. Ferguson has been on the faculty at the University of Colorado Denver since 1985 and teaches in the Dept. of Integrative Biology. He has been nationally recognized for excellence in teaching and...
Interests: include restoration ecology, seed-based conservation, and plant ecology. Her PhD dissertation is on the ‘Implications of Local Adaptation on Seed Sourcing for North American Prairie Restoration Under Climate Change’. She conducts field, greenhouse, and genetic research on prairie restoration at Denver Botanic Gardens York St. and Chatfield Farms.
Ph.D. • 2018 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: Desert zombies, mata vendados, spawns of satan, and madre de alacranes are all colloquial names for camel spiders. Camel spiders, in the arachnid order Solifugae, are an interesting and perplexing group of arachnids distributed on all continents except Antarctica and Australia. Erika Garcia is a doctoral student based at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science working with Dr. Paula Cushing on camel spiders within the family Eremobatidae...
M.S. Program • Ackerfield, Bruederle and Ragland Lab
Department of Integrative Biology
Interest: Tiffany is a first-year master’s student and botanist advised by Dr. Jennifer Ackerfield, Dr. Leo Bruederle, and Dr. Greg Ragland. She is interested in the processes of evolution and speciation at a molecular level. Tiffany’s research involves examining the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Eutrema , specifically through the lens of chromosome duplication. She is exploring how this phenomenon contributes to within-genus diversification and distribution. Tiffany will be applying...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My science education research interests are concerned with assessing and improving how students understand biological concepts and apply scientific principles, especially concepts and principles related to ecology. I work at both the undergraduate and grades 6-12 levels. My approach to this research employs both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods. I enjoy working on large-scale, multi-faceted collaborative projects that seek to answer transformative and often complicated research questions. Thus, some of the projects I work on involve many collaborators from across the country. My goals as a science education researcher are to make discoveries that can be used for improving pedagogy and assessment in undergraduate biology education and for informing the development of national science standards and practices for K-12 education. My ecological research bridges community and ecosystem ecology to explore how plant communities and soils respond to external factors such as intensive herbivory, nutrient inputs, emerging infectious diseases, and climate change. The model system that I work on has shaped and integrated the questions that I pursue. I study the impact of introduced bubonic plague on both urban and rural black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) communities. My field research involves mostly observational studies across space and time gradients. I conduct greenhouse experiments to further explore the mechanisms underlying the broad patterns I observe in the field. Much of my research is situated in and around urban Denver, making it easily accessible to UC Denver student researchers.
Research Interests: I’m a landscape and spatial ecologist, in my 4th-year as a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Colorado Denver. I work in the intersection of paleoecology, landscape ecology, and disturbance ecology, using field, lab, and modeling tools to study how ecosystems change over space and time.
Interests: Fear extinction, stress resilience, exercise, sex differences and estrous cycle effects. My research focuses specifically on the estrous cycle modulation of fear extinction learning and memory.
Ph.D. • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My research adapts genomics tools to answer fundamental questions about the evolution of animal diversity. I focus on the regulatory control of gene expression during vertebrate development. My approach integrates functional and comparative genomics, developmental biology, and phylogenetics. My goal is to understand the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying the evolution of vertebrate morphology.
Research interests include understanding how young adults learn biological concepts using cooperative and phenomena-based approaches and how to best support teacher implementing those strategies.
Ph.D. • 2021 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
I am currently studying evolutionary relationships between camel spiders (solifuges) using phylogenomics and revising taxonomic characters used to name camel spider species. I also am interested in camel spider behavior, specifically how they locate their prey and their use of daytime retreats.
M.S. Program • 2024 • Ackerfield Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Ash Kerber is a first year Master’s student exploring the evolutionary history of rare alpine plants, specifically in the genus Polemonium, using floral scent and genetics. She plans to demonstrate how diverse alpine angiosperm adaptions can be, especially those that humans cannot see. Denver Botanic Gardens Graduate Students
Expertise Areas: Cellular and molecular neurobiology, neuropharmacology, synaptic development, hippocampal biology, general genetics, neuropsychology Education and Degrees Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical School B.S. in Biology from the University of North Dakota Bio My journey into neurobiology began in the gross anatomy cadaver lab at the University of North Dakota. This led me to start pursuing molecular neurobiology, with a specific interest in the cellular...
Expertise Areas: Science Education, Ecology Education & Degrees Ph.D., Integrative and Systems Biology, University of Colorado Denver M.S., Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville B.S., Biology, Saint Louis University Bio I am a biology education researcher who primarily focuses on multicultural science education. I study student science identities and how history, family, and community shape the ways students perceive life experiences and their place in science. Additional biology education interests...
Expertise: Biomolecular NMR, Protein Structure and Function, Integrative Structural Biology, Infectious Disease, AI/ML, Automated NMR Analysis, Integrated Software, Big Data
M.S. Program • 2023 • Greene/Wilson Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
I'm interested in plant-fungal relationships. My thesis project is documenting the diversity of fungi associated with two plants that utilize carbon sourced from fungi.
Areas of Expertise: My content area of expertise and teaching focus are in immunology (and introduction to biology outside of UC, Denver). My interests in science education focus on creating more engaging, active learning approaches that increase equity and inclusion in learning and in the learning community. Currently, I am evaluating the contributions of Flip video assignments through qualitative and quantitative measures. Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is a free, simple video...
My research in behavioral neuroscience examines sex differences in stress resistance factors like exercise. Currently, I am investigating the neural circuits that mediate exercise-induced stress resistance in male and female rodents.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Miller lab develops and uses bioinformatic and genome-enabled approaches to study microbial communities. With the advent of new sequencing technologies, one can sequence billions or trillions of base pairs of DNA for relatively little money. One of the most powerful applications of this new economy is the direct sequencing of microbial DNA and RNA from the environment. The combination of deep sequencing and bioinformatics reveals that even “simple” natural microbial communities are in fact quite complex. The Miller lab is interested in understanding this complexity at a systems level for microbial communities relevant to the environment, bioenergy production, and human health and disease.
PhD • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: Evolutionary ecology, eco-physiology, global change, comparative methods, citizen science Education & Degrees PhD – Case Western Reserve University 2019 MS – Murray State University 2014 BS – Gonzaga University 2011 Bio Dr. Moore studies physiological and developmental limits on evolution. His research with dragonflies and amphibians details why organisms have been able to adapt to some environments but not others. This work also helps us predict the ways...
Interests: I am interested in self-organization and its intersection in social insects (ants) and neuroscience. Both are centerless systems which nonetheless exhibit flexible, directed behavior which arises from their constitutive parts. My research centers on recruitment and warfare in the pavement ant Tetramorium immigrans , a widespread tramp species across Europe and North America.
Research Interest: I am interested in evolutionary ecology, animal behavior, and wildlife conservation through the lens of global change. I am driven to explore how wildfire and extreme events affect wildlife populations. Currently, I am researching how habitats burned by wildfire impact the sexually selected traits of dragonflies.
Expertise Areas: Plant Sciences Education and Degrees Postdoctoral Fellow , Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany PhD. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. MS. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. BA. Biology , Macalester College. Bio I am a plant molecular systematist and evolutionary biologist. I am interested in evolutionary relationships at the border of species and populations and have studied both the pantropical understory shrub genus Psychotria (Rubiaceae) and Hawaiian...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My broad research interests include animal population dynamics and behavioral ecology. Currently, my research focuses on migratory ecology and demography of an inland breeding shorebird of conservation interest, the Mountain Plover. I am interested in how migration strategies vary between individuals across the landscape and how this variation is affected by environment and phenotype. Additionally, how does this variation translate to population level effects on seasonal distribution and population...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Ragland Lab is interested in the process of local adaptation to changing environments, and the mechanisms underlying animal hibernation. Our goal is to understand the mechanisms and targets of natural selection, integrating studies from genomes, to physiology, to whole organism performance. Please refer to the lab website for more information: https://seasonaladaptation.org
Ed.D. • Senior Instructor • Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Integrative Biology
Education & Degrees University of Colorado Denver, Doctor of Education, Leadership for Educational Equity 2014 Walden University, Masters in Public Health, 2008 University of Colorado Denver, Masters of Arts, Biology 2003 University of Colorado Boulder, Bachelor of Arts, Environmental, Populational, Organismal Biology 1995 Courses Taught BIOL 1550&1560: Basic Biology for non-biology majors BIOL 1136: Human Biology BIOL 1111: Biology First Year Seminar BIOL 2010: General Biology II
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of ESIL Certificate • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My interests include topics in microbiology and microbial ecology. I'm currently researching the degradation of 1,4-dioxane, a potentially carcinogenic chemical, by microorganisms at a Colorado landfill. My undergraduate research was focused on microbial fuel cells, a technology to harvest electricity from microorganisms.
Research Interests: Urban and Evolutionary Ecology, specifically how urban ecological and evolutionary processes can be better understood and used to inform environmentally conscious city and land-use management. My thesis work will involve surveys of water quality within City of Denver, and more specifically along the Highline Canal, using aquatic invertebrate and plant diversity as quality indicators.
M.S. Program • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: Center around camel spider (Solifuges) systematics. My focus is in analyzing currently used characters and devising morphometrics that may shed light on a complex group of camel spiders
Interests: My doctoral work is on limber pine at treeline in Rocky Mountain National Park, determining its treeline distribution, variables associated with its occurrence there, and the viability of limber pine seeds produced across high elevations. More broadly, my research interests include remote sensing and GIS applications to landscape ecology and biogeography, and restoration ecology under changing climate.
Audrey Spencer is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate researching the systematics and biogeography of Physocarpus (ninebark), helping elucidate the origins of the flora of the Southern Rockies. She uses genomic tools to tell the biogeographic story of plants with disjunct distributions.
Ph.D. • 2022 • Dr. John Fisk, CU Denver Department of Chemistry
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: I am interested in work to expand the genetic code via incorporation of noncanonical amino acids as well as working on developing a computational model of phage infection in filamentous bacteria for the purposes of modeling phage display and delving deeper into how to reverse bacterial "curing" during a phage infection. To learn more about our research, please visit our lab's website.
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.
Joseph has graduated into the department's PhD Program. Interests: designing a novel way to extract and isolate nascent-RNA in hopes to determine the thermal sensitivity of transcription.
Research Interests: Broadly I am interested in all things related to insects and have a passion for pollinators and how they interact with their environment. My research questions use Drosophila melanogaster to answer questions about developmental plasticity and further our understanding of how insects respond to cold stress.
Interests: My research interest is in nanomedicine, that is, using nano-sized materials in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. I focus on the fabrication of chemiluminescent and fluorescent nanoparticles for use in early detection and image-guided surgery of cancer for clinical use. I also work on the development of therapeutic contact lenses coated with metal chelators for the treatment of corneal diseases.
Areas of Expertise: I use molecular systematics to refine understanding of fungal diversity, and novel phylogenetic tools to test hypotheses regarding their evolution and ecology. I am currently expanding my research into population genetics.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of Graduate Program • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative 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.
I am interested in how the evolution of ornaments conflicts with locomotor performance and fitness using stalk-eyed flies as a model system. To test for flight biomechanical costs associated with the elongated eye stalks, I film escape performance of flies in simulated predator attacks using high-speed videography.
M.S. Program • 2022 • Rebecca Hufft, Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: I am interested in using Terrestrial Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) data collected in burn scars on public lands to determine if current land management decisions are efficient in restoration efforts post- wildfire.
Expertise Areas: Since graduating with my PhD in behavioral neuroendocrinology in 1998, I have held post-doctoral appointments in several labs in several disciplines - at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy I worked on the molecular mechanisms regulating DNA replication and cell-cycle arrest; in the Division of Endocrinology at the CU Health Sciences Center, I worked on coactivators and corepressors of the progesterone receptor and their role in the regulation of breast cancer. I held a National Research Council postdoctoral research position working with the USGS on the seasonal effects of endocrine disrupters and most recently worked at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics looking at the association between behavioral disorders and genes for several neurotransmitter-associated proteins. Although I am still very interested in the interaction between environmental endocrine disrupters and seasonal reproduction and the genetic and endocrine basis of behavior, since 2002 most of my professional time has been devoted to teaching. I am fascinated by the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie behavior and physiology and thoroughly enjoy sharing that interest with students in anatomy, physiology, and exercise physiology.
Expertise Areas: Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology Education & Degrees DDS - University of Missouri in Kansas City MBA - Baker University, Baldwin City, KS BA - Creighton University, Omaha, NE Bio BBB Selected Publications PPP Courses Taught Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology
Expertise Areas: Dr. Bruederle's research interests include the evolution of species rich genera such as Carex (Cyperaceae), which comprises approximately 2000 species worldwide. He is interested specifically in the evolutionary mechanisms that facilitate speciation in this large genus. Additional interests include: plant systematics at and below the level of genus, population genetics and endemism, conservation genetics, and biogeography. He is also interested in the implementation, institutionalization, and assessment of undergraduate research.
Interests: Julie is a doctoral research fellow with the National Science Foundation. Her research interests are interdisciplinary in the fields of ecology literacy, environmental education, and ethnographic research. Through studying the intersections of ecological systems, environmental education, and socio-historical equity, she creates culturally inclusive pedagogy and equitable evaluation practices. She has extensive background experience in designing, managing, and evaluating formal and informal K-12 science education programs, as well as conducting...
Interests: I am broadly interested in understanding how plant communities respond to and interact with disturbance in forested ecosystems and how changing plant communities influence biogeochemistry, biogeography, and energy balances. Currently, I am pursuing these interests in the temperate coastal rainforest of Southeast Alaska. Please visit my professional website for more information, https://www.trevoracarter.com/
Gabrielle’s research interests include urban ecology and native wildflowers of Colorado. She is especially interested in the resiliency of native plants in the face of climate change and urbanization.
Interest: I'm interested in urban raptor ecology and the urban wildlife information network. Please visit my professional website for more information. https://www.alyssadavidge.com/
Interests: Demographics, Species Distribution Modeling, Population Genetics, Plant Conservation. The study of applied plant conservation. I conduct field research on plant population dynamics and model species distributions, population level genetic structure, and response to climate change.
Research interest: My research focuses on developing computational methods to enhance the quality of NMR data and using NMR techniques to investigate how proteins interact with RNA.
Expertise Areas: First year Experience/Success of STEM students and Health Professions Advising Education & Degrees PhD., Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, 1996 M.A., Neurophysiology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1987 B.A., Biology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1985 Bio Dr. Ferguson has been on the faculty at the University of Colorado Denver since 1985 and teaches in the Dept. of Integrative Biology. He has been nationally recognized for excellence in teaching and...
Interests: include restoration ecology, seed-based conservation, and plant ecology. Her PhD dissertation is on the ‘Implications of Local Adaptation on Seed Sourcing for North American Prairie Restoration Under Climate Change’. She conducts field, greenhouse, and genetic research on prairie restoration at Denver Botanic Gardens York St. and Chatfield Farms.
Ph.D. • 2018 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: Desert zombies, mata vendados, spawns of satan, and madre de alacranes are all colloquial names for camel spiders. Camel spiders, in the arachnid order Solifugae, are an interesting and perplexing group of arachnids distributed on all continents except Antarctica and Australia. Erika Garcia is a doctoral student based at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science working with Dr. Paula Cushing on camel spiders within the family Eremobatidae...
M.S. Program • Ackerfield, Bruederle and Ragland Lab
Department of Integrative Biology
Interest: Tiffany is a first-year master’s student and botanist advised by Dr. Jennifer Ackerfield, Dr. Leo Bruederle, and Dr. Greg Ragland. She is interested in the processes of evolution and speciation at a molecular level. Tiffany’s research involves examining the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Eutrema , specifically through the lens of chromosome duplication. She is exploring how this phenomenon contributes to within-genus diversification and distribution. Tiffany will be applying...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My science education research interests are concerned with assessing and improving how students understand biological concepts and apply scientific principles, especially concepts and principles related to ecology. I work at both the undergraduate and grades 6-12 levels. My approach to this research employs both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods. I enjoy working on large-scale, multi-faceted collaborative projects that seek to answer transformative and often complicated research questions. Thus, some of the projects I work on involve many collaborators from across the country. My goals as a science education researcher are to make discoveries that can be used for improving pedagogy and assessment in undergraduate biology education and for informing the development of national science standards and practices for K-12 education. My ecological research bridges community and ecosystem ecology to explore how plant communities and soils respond to external factors such as intensive herbivory, nutrient inputs, emerging infectious diseases, and climate change. The model system that I work on has shaped and integrated the questions that I pursue. I study the impact of introduced bubonic plague on both urban and rural black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) communities. My field research involves mostly observational studies across space and time gradients. I conduct greenhouse experiments to further explore the mechanisms underlying the broad patterns I observe in the field. Much of my research is situated in and around urban Denver, making it easily accessible to UC Denver student researchers.
Research Interests: I’m a landscape and spatial ecologist, in my 4th-year as a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Colorado Denver. I work in the intersection of paleoecology, landscape ecology, and disturbance ecology, using field, lab, and modeling tools to study how ecosystems change over space and time.
Interests: Fear extinction, stress resilience, exercise, sex differences and estrous cycle effects. My research focuses specifically on the estrous cycle modulation of fear extinction learning and memory.
Ph.D. • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My research adapts genomics tools to answer fundamental questions about the evolution of animal diversity. I focus on the regulatory control of gene expression during vertebrate development. My approach integrates functional and comparative genomics, developmental biology, and phylogenetics. My goal is to understand the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying the evolution of vertebrate morphology.
Research interests include understanding how young adults learn biological concepts using cooperative and phenomena-based approaches and how to best support teacher implementing those strategies.
Ph.D. • 2021 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
I am currently studying evolutionary relationships between camel spiders (solifuges) using phylogenomics and revising taxonomic characters used to name camel spider species. I also am interested in camel spider behavior, specifically how they locate their prey and their use of daytime retreats.
M.S. Program • 2024 • Ackerfield Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Ash Kerber is a first year Master’s student exploring the evolutionary history of rare alpine plants, specifically in the genus Polemonium, using floral scent and genetics. She plans to demonstrate how diverse alpine angiosperm adaptions can be, especially those that humans cannot see. Denver Botanic Gardens Graduate Students
Expertise Areas: Cellular and molecular neurobiology, neuropharmacology, synaptic development, hippocampal biology, general genetics, neuropsychology Education and Degrees Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical School B.S. in Biology from the University of North Dakota Bio My journey into neurobiology began in the gross anatomy cadaver lab at the University of North Dakota. This led me to start pursuing molecular neurobiology, with a specific interest in the cellular...
Expertise Areas: Science Education, Ecology Education & Degrees Ph.D., Integrative and Systems Biology, University of Colorado Denver M.S., Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville B.S., Biology, Saint Louis University Bio I am a biology education researcher who primarily focuses on multicultural science education. I study student science identities and how history, family, and community shape the ways students perceive life experiences and their place in science. Additional biology education interests...
Expertise: Biomolecular NMR, Protein Structure and Function, Integrative Structural Biology, Infectious Disease, AI/ML, Automated NMR Analysis, Integrated Software, Big Data
M.S. Program • 2023 • Greene/Wilson Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
I'm interested in plant-fungal relationships. My thesis project is documenting the diversity of fungi associated with two plants that utilize carbon sourced from fungi.
Areas of Expertise: My content area of expertise and teaching focus are in immunology (and introduction to biology outside of UC, Denver). My interests in science education focus on creating more engaging, active learning approaches that increase equity and inclusion in learning and in the learning community. Currently, I am evaluating the contributions of Flip video assignments through qualitative and quantitative measures. Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is a free, simple video...
My research in behavioral neuroscience examines sex differences in stress resistance factors like exercise. Currently, I am investigating the neural circuits that mediate exercise-induced stress resistance in male and female rodents.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Miller lab develops and uses bioinformatic and genome-enabled approaches to study microbial communities. With the advent of new sequencing technologies, one can sequence billions or trillions of base pairs of DNA for relatively little money. One of the most powerful applications of this new economy is the direct sequencing of microbial DNA and RNA from the environment. The combination of deep sequencing and bioinformatics reveals that even “simple” natural microbial communities are in fact quite complex. The Miller lab is interested in understanding this complexity at a systems level for microbial communities relevant to the environment, bioenergy production, and human health and disease.
PhD • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: Evolutionary ecology, eco-physiology, global change, comparative methods, citizen science Education & Degrees PhD – Case Western Reserve University 2019 MS – Murray State University 2014 BS – Gonzaga University 2011 Bio Dr. Moore studies physiological and developmental limits on evolution. His research with dragonflies and amphibians details why organisms have been able to adapt to some environments but not others. This work also helps us predict the ways...
Interests: I am interested in self-organization and its intersection in social insects (ants) and neuroscience. Both are centerless systems which nonetheless exhibit flexible, directed behavior which arises from their constitutive parts. My research centers on recruitment and warfare in the pavement ant Tetramorium immigrans , a widespread tramp species across Europe and North America.
Research Interest: I am interested in evolutionary ecology, animal behavior, and wildlife conservation through the lens of global change. I am driven to explore how wildfire and extreme events affect wildlife populations. Currently, I am researching how habitats burned by wildfire impact the sexually selected traits of dragonflies.
Expertise Areas: Plant Sciences Education and Degrees Postdoctoral Fellow , Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany PhD. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. MS. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. BA. Biology , Macalester College. Bio I am a plant molecular systematist and evolutionary biologist. I am interested in evolutionary relationships at the border of species and populations and have studied both the pantropical understory shrub genus Psychotria (Rubiaceae) and Hawaiian...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My broad research interests include animal population dynamics and behavioral ecology. Currently, my research focuses on migratory ecology and demography of an inland breeding shorebird of conservation interest, the Mountain Plover. I am interested in how migration strategies vary between individuals across the landscape and how this variation is affected by environment and phenotype. Additionally, how does this variation translate to population level effects on seasonal distribution and population...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Ragland Lab is interested in the process of local adaptation to changing environments, and the mechanisms underlying animal hibernation. Our goal is to understand the mechanisms and targets of natural selection, integrating studies from genomes, to physiology, to whole organism performance. Please refer to the lab website for more information: https://seasonaladaptation.org
Ed.D. • Senior Instructor • Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Integrative Biology
Education & Degrees University of Colorado Denver, Doctor of Education, Leadership for Educational Equity 2014 Walden University, Masters in Public Health, 2008 University of Colorado Denver, Masters of Arts, Biology 2003 University of Colorado Boulder, Bachelor of Arts, Environmental, Populational, Organismal Biology 1995 Courses Taught BIOL 1550&1560: Basic Biology for non-biology majors BIOL 1136: Human Biology BIOL 1111: Biology First Year Seminar BIOL 2010: General Biology II
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of ESIL Certificate • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My interests include topics in microbiology and microbial ecology. I'm currently researching the degradation of 1,4-dioxane, a potentially carcinogenic chemical, by microorganisms at a Colorado landfill. My undergraduate research was focused on microbial fuel cells, a technology to harvest electricity from microorganisms.
Research Interests: Urban and Evolutionary Ecology, specifically how urban ecological and evolutionary processes can be better understood and used to inform environmentally conscious city and land-use management. My thesis work will involve surveys of water quality within City of Denver, and more specifically along the Highline Canal, using aquatic invertebrate and plant diversity as quality indicators.
M.S. Program • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: Center around camel spider (Solifuges) systematics. My focus is in analyzing currently used characters and devising morphometrics that may shed light on a complex group of camel spiders
Interests: My doctoral work is on limber pine at treeline in Rocky Mountain National Park, determining its treeline distribution, variables associated with its occurrence there, and the viability of limber pine seeds produced across high elevations. More broadly, my research interests include remote sensing and GIS applications to landscape ecology and biogeography, and restoration ecology under changing climate.
Audrey Spencer is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate researching the systematics and biogeography of Physocarpus (ninebark), helping elucidate the origins of the flora of the Southern Rockies. She uses genomic tools to tell the biogeographic story of plants with disjunct distributions.
Ph.D. • 2022 • Dr. John Fisk, CU Denver Department of Chemistry
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: I am interested in work to expand the genetic code via incorporation of noncanonical amino acids as well as working on developing a computational model of phage infection in filamentous bacteria for the purposes of modeling phage display and delving deeper into how to reverse bacterial "curing" during a phage infection. To learn more about our research, please visit our lab's website.
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.
Joseph has graduated into the department's PhD Program. Interests: designing a novel way to extract and isolate nascent-RNA in hopes to determine the thermal sensitivity of transcription.
Research Interests: Broadly I am interested in all things related to insects and have a passion for pollinators and how they interact with their environment. My research questions use Drosophila melanogaster to answer questions about developmental plasticity and further our understanding of how insects respond to cold stress.
Interests: My research interest is in nanomedicine, that is, using nano-sized materials in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. I focus on the fabrication of chemiluminescent and fluorescent nanoparticles for use in early detection and image-guided surgery of cancer for clinical use. I also work on the development of therapeutic contact lenses coated with metal chelators for the treatment of corneal diseases.
Areas of Expertise: I use molecular systematics to refine understanding of fungal diversity, and novel phylogenetic tools to test hypotheses regarding their evolution and ecology. I am currently expanding my research into population genetics.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of Graduate Program • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative 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.
I am interested in how the evolution of ornaments conflicts with locomotor performance and fitness using stalk-eyed flies as a model system. To test for flight biomechanical costs associated with the elongated eye stalks, I film escape performance of flies in simulated predator attacks using high-speed videography.
M.S. Program • 2022 • Rebecca Hufft, Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: I am interested in using Terrestrial Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) data collected in burn scars on public lands to determine if current land management decisions are efficient in restoration efforts post- wildfire.
Expertise Areas: Since graduating with my PhD in behavioral neuroendocrinology in 1998, I have held post-doctoral appointments in several labs in several disciplines - at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy I worked on the molecular mechanisms regulating DNA replication and cell-cycle arrest; in the Division of Endocrinology at the CU Health Sciences Center, I worked on coactivators and corepressors of the progesterone receptor and their role in the regulation of breast cancer. I held a National Research Council postdoctoral research position working with the USGS on the seasonal effects of endocrine disrupters and most recently worked at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics looking at the association between behavioral disorders and genes for several neurotransmitter-associated proteins. Although I am still very interested in the interaction between environmental endocrine disrupters and seasonal reproduction and the genetic and endocrine basis of behavior, since 2002 most of my professional time has been devoted to teaching. I am fascinated by the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie behavior and physiology and thoroughly enjoy sharing that interest with students in anatomy, physiology, and exercise physiology.
Expertise Areas: Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology Education & Degrees DDS - University of Missouri in Kansas City MBA - Baker University, Baldwin City, KS BA - Creighton University, Omaha, NE Bio BBB Selected Publications PPP Courses Taught Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology
Expertise Areas: Dr. Bruederle's research interests include the evolution of species rich genera such as Carex (Cyperaceae), which comprises approximately 2000 species worldwide. He is interested specifically in the evolutionary mechanisms that facilitate speciation in this large genus. Additional interests include: plant systematics at and below the level of genus, population genetics and endemism, conservation genetics, and biogeography. He is also interested in the implementation, institutionalization, and assessment of undergraduate research.
Interests: Julie is a doctoral research fellow with the National Science Foundation. Her research interests are interdisciplinary in the fields of ecology literacy, environmental education, and ethnographic research. Through studying the intersections of ecological systems, environmental education, and socio-historical equity, she creates culturally inclusive pedagogy and equitable evaluation practices. She has extensive background experience in designing, managing, and evaluating formal and informal K-12 science education programs, as well as conducting...
Interests: I am broadly interested in understanding how plant communities respond to and interact with disturbance in forested ecosystems and how changing plant communities influence biogeochemistry, biogeography, and energy balances. Currently, I am pursuing these interests in the temperate coastal rainforest of Southeast Alaska. Please visit my professional website for more information, https://www.trevoracarter.com/
Gabrielle’s research interests include urban ecology and native wildflowers of Colorado. She is especially interested in the resiliency of native plants in the face of climate change and urbanization.
Interest: I'm interested in urban raptor ecology and the urban wildlife information network. Please visit my professional website for more information. https://www.alyssadavidge.com/
Interests: Demographics, Species Distribution Modeling, Population Genetics, Plant Conservation. The study of applied plant conservation. I conduct field research on plant population dynamics and model species distributions, population level genetic structure, and response to climate change.
Research interest: My research focuses on developing computational methods to enhance the quality of NMR data and using NMR techniques to investigate how proteins interact with RNA.
Expertise Areas: First year Experience/Success of STEM students and Health Professions Advising Education & Degrees PhD., Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, 1996 M.A., Neurophysiology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1987 B.A., Biology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1985 Bio Dr. Ferguson has been on the faculty at the University of Colorado Denver since 1985 and teaches in the Dept. of Integrative Biology. He has been nationally recognized for excellence in teaching and...
Interests: include restoration ecology, seed-based conservation, and plant ecology. Her PhD dissertation is on the ‘Implications of Local Adaptation on Seed Sourcing for North American Prairie Restoration Under Climate Change’. She conducts field, greenhouse, and genetic research on prairie restoration at Denver Botanic Gardens York St. and Chatfield Farms.
Ph.D. • 2018 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: Desert zombies, mata vendados, spawns of satan, and madre de alacranes are all colloquial names for camel spiders. Camel spiders, in the arachnid order Solifugae, are an interesting and perplexing group of arachnids distributed on all continents except Antarctica and Australia. Erika Garcia is a doctoral student based at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science working with Dr. Paula Cushing on camel spiders within the family Eremobatidae...
M.S. Program • Ackerfield, Bruederle and Ragland Lab
Department of Integrative Biology
Interest: Tiffany is a first-year master’s student and botanist advised by Dr. Jennifer Ackerfield, Dr. Leo Bruederle, and Dr. Greg Ragland. She is interested in the processes of evolution and speciation at a molecular level. Tiffany’s research involves examining the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Eutrema , specifically through the lens of chromosome duplication. She is exploring how this phenomenon contributes to within-genus diversification and distribution. Tiffany will be applying...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My science education research interests are concerned with assessing and improving how students understand biological concepts and apply scientific principles, especially concepts and principles related to ecology. I work at both the undergraduate and grades 6-12 levels. My approach to this research employs both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods. I enjoy working on large-scale, multi-faceted collaborative projects that seek to answer transformative and often complicated research questions. Thus, some of the projects I work on involve many collaborators from across the country. My goals as a science education researcher are to make discoveries that can be used for improving pedagogy and assessment in undergraduate biology education and for informing the development of national science standards and practices for K-12 education. My ecological research bridges community and ecosystem ecology to explore how plant communities and soils respond to external factors such as intensive herbivory, nutrient inputs, emerging infectious diseases, and climate change. The model system that I work on has shaped and integrated the questions that I pursue. I study the impact of introduced bubonic plague on both urban and rural black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) communities. My field research involves mostly observational studies across space and time gradients. I conduct greenhouse experiments to further explore the mechanisms underlying the broad patterns I observe in the field. Much of my research is situated in and around urban Denver, making it easily accessible to UC Denver student researchers.
Research Interests: I’m a landscape and spatial ecologist, in my 4th-year as a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Colorado Denver. I work in the intersection of paleoecology, landscape ecology, and disturbance ecology, using field, lab, and modeling tools to study how ecosystems change over space and time.
Interests: Fear extinction, stress resilience, exercise, sex differences and estrous cycle effects. My research focuses specifically on the estrous cycle modulation of fear extinction learning and memory.
Ph.D. • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My research adapts genomics tools to answer fundamental questions about the evolution of animal diversity. I focus on the regulatory control of gene expression during vertebrate development. My approach integrates functional and comparative genomics, developmental biology, and phylogenetics. My goal is to understand the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying the evolution of vertebrate morphology.
Research interests include understanding how young adults learn biological concepts using cooperative and phenomena-based approaches and how to best support teacher implementing those strategies.
Ph.D. • 2021 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
I am currently studying evolutionary relationships between camel spiders (solifuges) using phylogenomics and revising taxonomic characters used to name camel spider species. I also am interested in camel spider behavior, specifically how they locate their prey and their use of daytime retreats.
M.S. Program • 2024 • Ackerfield Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Ash Kerber is a first year Master’s student exploring the evolutionary history of rare alpine plants, specifically in the genus Polemonium, using floral scent and genetics. She plans to demonstrate how diverse alpine angiosperm adaptions can be, especially those that humans cannot see. Denver Botanic Gardens Graduate Students
Expertise Areas: Cellular and molecular neurobiology, neuropharmacology, synaptic development, hippocampal biology, general genetics, neuropsychology Education and Degrees Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical School B.S. in Biology from the University of North Dakota Bio My journey into neurobiology began in the gross anatomy cadaver lab at the University of North Dakota. This led me to start pursuing molecular neurobiology, with a specific interest in the cellular...
Expertise Areas: Science Education, Ecology Education & Degrees Ph.D., Integrative and Systems Biology, University of Colorado Denver M.S., Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville B.S., Biology, Saint Louis University Bio I am a biology education researcher who primarily focuses on multicultural science education. I study student science identities and how history, family, and community shape the ways students perceive life experiences and their place in science. Additional biology education interests...
Expertise: Biomolecular NMR, Protein Structure and Function, Integrative Structural Biology, Infectious Disease, AI/ML, Automated NMR Analysis, Integrated Software, Big Data
M.S. Program • 2023 • Greene/Wilson Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
I'm interested in plant-fungal relationships. My thesis project is documenting the diversity of fungi associated with two plants that utilize carbon sourced from fungi.
Areas of Expertise: My content area of expertise and teaching focus are in immunology (and introduction to biology outside of UC, Denver). My interests in science education focus on creating more engaging, active learning approaches that increase equity and inclusion in learning and in the learning community. Currently, I am evaluating the contributions of Flip video assignments through qualitative and quantitative measures. Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is a free, simple video...
My research in behavioral neuroscience examines sex differences in stress resistance factors like exercise. Currently, I am investigating the neural circuits that mediate exercise-induced stress resistance in male and female rodents.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Miller lab develops and uses bioinformatic and genome-enabled approaches to study microbial communities. With the advent of new sequencing technologies, one can sequence billions or trillions of base pairs of DNA for relatively little money. One of the most powerful applications of this new economy is the direct sequencing of microbial DNA and RNA from the environment. The combination of deep sequencing and bioinformatics reveals that even “simple” natural microbial communities are in fact quite complex. The Miller lab is interested in understanding this complexity at a systems level for microbial communities relevant to the environment, bioenergy production, and human health and disease.
PhD • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: Evolutionary ecology, eco-physiology, global change, comparative methods, citizen science Education & Degrees PhD – Case Western Reserve University 2019 MS – Murray State University 2014 BS – Gonzaga University 2011 Bio Dr. Moore studies physiological and developmental limits on evolution. His research with dragonflies and amphibians details why organisms have been able to adapt to some environments but not others. This work also helps us predict the ways...
Interests: I am interested in self-organization and its intersection in social insects (ants) and neuroscience. Both are centerless systems which nonetheless exhibit flexible, directed behavior which arises from their constitutive parts. My research centers on recruitment and warfare in the pavement ant Tetramorium immigrans , a widespread tramp species across Europe and North America.
Research Interest: I am interested in evolutionary ecology, animal behavior, and wildlife conservation through the lens of global change. I am driven to explore how wildfire and extreme events affect wildlife populations. Currently, I am researching how habitats burned by wildfire impact the sexually selected traits of dragonflies.
Expertise Areas: Plant Sciences Education and Degrees Postdoctoral Fellow , Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany PhD. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. MS. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. BA. Biology , Macalester College. Bio I am a plant molecular systematist and evolutionary biologist. I am interested in evolutionary relationships at the border of species and populations and have studied both the pantropical understory shrub genus Psychotria (Rubiaceae) and Hawaiian...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My broad research interests include animal population dynamics and behavioral ecology. Currently, my research focuses on migratory ecology and demography of an inland breeding shorebird of conservation interest, the Mountain Plover. I am interested in how migration strategies vary between individuals across the landscape and how this variation is affected by environment and phenotype. Additionally, how does this variation translate to population level effects on seasonal distribution and population...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Ragland Lab is interested in the process of local adaptation to changing environments, and the mechanisms underlying animal hibernation. Our goal is to understand the mechanisms and targets of natural selection, integrating studies from genomes, to physiology, to whole organism performance. Please refer to the lab website for more information: https://seasonaladaptation.org
Ed.D. • Senior Instructor • Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Integrative Biology
Education & Degrees University of Colorado Denver, Doctor of Education, Leadership for Educational Equity 2014 Walden University, Masters in Public Health, 2008 University of Colorado Denver, Masters of Arts, Biology 2003 University of Colorado Boulder, Bachelor of Arts, Environmental, Populational, Organismal Biology 1995 Courses Taught BIOL 1550&1560: Basic Biology for non-biology majors BIOL 1136: Human Biology BIOL 1111: Biology First Year Seminar BIOL 2010: General Biology II
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of ESIL Certificate • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My interests include topics in microbiology and microbial ecology. I'm currently researching the degradation of 1,4-dioxane, a potentially carcinogenic chemical, by microorganisms at a Colorado landfill. My undergraduate research was focused on microbial fuel cells, a technology to harvest electricity from microorganisms.
Research Interests: Urban and Evolutionary Ecology, specifically how urban ecological and evolutionary processes can be better understood and used to inform environmentally conscious city and land-use management. My thesis work will involve surveys of water quality within City of Denver, and more specifically along the Highline Canal, using aquatic invertebrate and plant diversity as quality indicators.
M.S. Program • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: Center around camel spider (Solifuges) systematics. My focus is in analyzing currently used characters and devising morphometrics that may shed light on a complex group of camel spiders
Interests: My doctoral work is on limber pine at treeline in Rocky Mountain National Park, determining its treeline distribution, variables associated with its occurrence there, and the viability of limber pine seeds produced across high elevations. More broadly, my research interests include remote sensing and GIS applications to landscape ecology and biogeography, and restoration ecology under changing climate.
Audrey Spencer is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate researching the systematics and biogeography of Physocarpus (ninebark), helping elucidate the origins of the flora of the Southern Rockies. She uses genomic tools to tell the biogeographic story of plants with disjunct distributions.
Ph.D. • 2022 • Dr. John Fisk, CU Denver Department of Chemistry
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: I am interested in work to expand the genetic code via incorporation of noncanonical amino acids as well as working on developing a computational model of phage infection in filamentous bacteria for the purposes of modeling phage display and delving deeper into how to reverse bacterial "curing" during a phage infection. To learn more about our research, please visit our lab's website.
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.
Joseph has graduated into the department's PhD Program. Interests: designing a novel way to extract and isolate nascent-RNA in hopes to determine the thermal sensitivity of transcription.
Research Interests: Broadly I am interested in all things related to insects and have a passion for pollinators and how they interact with their environment. My research questions use Drosophila melanogaster to answer questions about developmental plasticity and further our understanding of how insects respond to cold stress.
Interests: My research interest is in nanomedicine, that is, using nano-sized materials in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. I focus on the fabrication of chemiluminescent and fluorescent nanoparticles for use in early detection and image-guided surgery of cancer for clinical use. I also work on the development of therapeutic contact lenses coated with metal chelators for the treatment of corneal diseases.
Areas of Expertise: I use molecular systematics to refine understanding of fungal diversity, and novel phylogenetic tools to test hypotheses regarding their evolution and ecology. I am currently expanding my research into population genetics.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of Graduate Program • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative 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.
I am interested in how the evolution of ornaments conflicts with locomotor performance and fitness using stalk-eyed flies as a model system. To test for flight biomechanical costs associated with the elongated eye stalks, I film escape performance of flies in simulated predator attacks using high-speed videography.
M.S. Program • 2022 • Rebecca Hufft, Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: I am interested in using Terrestrial Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) data collected in burn scars on public lands to determine if current land management decisions are efficient in restoration efforts post- wildfire.
Expertise Areas: Since graduating with my PhD in behavioral neuroendocrinology in 1998, I have held post-doctoral appointments in several labs in several disciplines - at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy I worked on the molecular mechanisms regulating DNA replication and cell-cycle arrest; in the Division of Endocrinology at the CU Health Sciences Center, I worked on coactivators and corepressors of the progesterone receptor and their role in the regulation of breast cancer. I held a National Research Council postdoctoral research position working with the USGS on the seasonal effects of endocrine disrupters and most recently worked at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics looking at the association between behavioral disorders and genes for several neurotransmitter-associated proteins. Although I am still very interested in the interaction between environmental endocrine disrupters and seasonal reproduction and the genetic and endocrine basis of behavior, since 2002 most of my professional time has been devoted to teaching. I am fascinated by the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie behavior and physiology and thoroughly enjoy sharing that interest with students in anatomy, physiology, and exercise physiology.
Expertise Areas: Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology Education & Degrees DDS - University of Missouri in Kansas City MBA - Baker University, Baldwin City, KS BA - Creighton University, Omaha, NE Bio BBB Selected Publications PPP Courses Taught Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology
Expertise Areas: Dr. Bruederle's research interests include the evolution of species rich genera such as Carex (Cyperaceae), which comprises approximately 2000 species worldwide. He is interested specifically in the evolutionary mechanisms that facilitate speciation in this large genus. Additional interests include: plant systematics at and below the level of genus, population genetics and endemism, conservation genetics, and biogeography. He is also interested in the implementation, institutionalization, and assessment of undergraduate research.
Interests: Julie is a doctoral research fellow with the National Science Foundation. Her research interests are interdisciplinary in the fields of ecology literacy, environmental education, and ethnographic research. Through studying the intersections of ecological systems, environmental education, and socio-historical equity, she creates culturally inclusive pedagogy and equitable evaluation practices. She has extensive background experience in designing, managing, and evaluating formal and informal K-12 science education programs, as well as conducting...
Interests: I am broadly interested in understanding how plant communities respond to and interact with disturbance in forested ecosystems and how changing plant communities influence biogeochemistry, biogeography, and energy balances. Currently, I am pursuing these interests in the temperate coastal rainforest of Southeast Alaska. Please visit my professional website for more information, https://www.trevoracarter.com/
Gabrielle’s research interests include urban ecology and native wildflowers of Colorado. She is especially interested in the resiliency of native plants in the face of climate change and urbanization.
Interest: I'm interested in urban raptor ecology and the urban wildlife information network. Please visit my professional website for more information. https://www.alyssadavidge.com/
Interests: Demographics, Species Distribution Modeling, Population Genetics, Plant Conservation. The study of applied plant conservation. I conduct field research on plant population dynamics and model species distributions, population level genetic structure, and response to climate change.
Research interest: My research focuses on developing computational methods to enhance the quality of NMR data and using NMR techniques to investigate how proteins interact with RNA.
Expertise Areas: First year Experience/Success of STEM students and Health Professions Advising Education & Degrees PhD., Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, 1996 M.A., Neurophysiology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1987 B.A., Biology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1985 Bio Dr. Ferguson has been on the faculty at the University of Colorado Denver since 1985 and teaches in the Dept. of Integrative Biology. He has been nationally recognized for excellence in teaching and...
Interests: include restoration ecology, seed-based conservation, and plant ecology. Her PhD dissertation is on the ‘Implications of Local Adaptation on Seed Sourcing for North American Prairie Restoration Under Climate Change’. She conducts field, greenhouse, and genetic research on prairie restoration at Denver Botanic Gardens York St. and Chatfield Farms.
Ph.D. • 2018 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: Desert zombies, mata vendados, spawns of satan, and madre de alacranes are all colloquial names for camel spiders. Camel spiders, in the arachnid order Solifugae, are an interesting and perplexing group of arachnids distributed on all continents except Antarctica and Australia. Erika Garcia is a doctoral student based at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science working with Dr. Paula Cushing on camel spiders within the family Eremobatidae...
M.S. Program • Ackerfield, Bruederle and Ragland Lab
Department of Integrative Biology
Interest: Tiffany is a first-year master’s student and botanist advised by Dr. Jennifer Ackerfield, Dr. Leo Bruederle, and Dr. Greg Ragland. She is interested in the processes of evolution and speciation at a molecular level. Tiffany’s research involves examining the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Eutrema , specifically through the lens of chromosome duplication. She is exploring how this phenomenon contributes to within-genus diversification and distribution. Tiffany will be applying...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My science education research interests are concerned with assessing and improving how students understand biological concepts and apply scientific principles, especially concepts and principles related to ecology. I work at both the undergraduate and grades 6-12 levels. My approach to this research employs both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods. I enjoy working on large-scale, multi-faceted collaborative projects that seek to answer transformative and often complicated research questions. Thus, some of the projects I work on involve many collaborators from across the country. My goals as a science education researcher are to make discoveries that can be used for improving pedagogy and assessment in undergraduate biology education and for informing the development of national science standards and practices for K-12 education. My ecological research bridges community and ecosystem ecology to explore how plant communities and soils respond to external factors such as intensive herbivory, nutrient inputs, emerging infectious diseases, and climate change. The model system that I work on has shaped and integrated the questions that I pursue. I study the impact of introduced bubonic plague on both urban and rural black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) communities. My field research involves mostly observational studies across space and time gradients. I conduct greenhouse experiments to further explore the mechanisms underlying the broad patterns I observe in the field. Much of my research is situated in and around urban Denver, making it easily accessible to UC Denver student researchers.
Research Interests: I’m a landscape and spatial ecologist, in my 4th-year as a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Colorado Denver. I work in the intersection of paleoecology, landscape ecology, and disturbance ecology, using field, lab, and modeling tools to study how ecosystems change over space and time.
Interests: Fear extinction, stress resilience, exercise, sex differences and estrous cycle effects. My research focuses specifically on the estrous cycle modulation of fear extinction learning and memory.
Ph.D. • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My research adapts genomics tools to answer fundamental questions about the evolution of animal diversity. I focus on the regulatory control of gene expression during vertebrate development. My approach integrates functional and comparative genomics, developmental biology, and phylogenetics. My goal is to understand the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying the evolution of vertebrate morphology.
Research interests include understanding how young adults learn biological concepts using cooperative and phenomena-based approaches and how to best support teacher implementing those strategies.
Ph.D. • 2021 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
I am currently studying evolutionary relationships between camel spiders (solifuges) using phylogenomics and revising taxonomic characters used to name camel spider species. I also am interested in camel spider behavior, specifically how they locate their prey and their use of daytime retreats.
M.S. Program • 2024 • Ackerfield Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Ash Kerber is a first year Master’s student exploring the evolutionary history of rare alpine plants, specifically in the genus Polemonium, using floral scent and genetics. She plans to demonstrate how diverse alpine angiosperm adaptions can be, especially those that humans cannot see. Denver Botanic Gardens Graduate Students
Expertise Areas: Cellular and molecular neurobiology, neuropharmacology, synaptic development, hippocampal biology, general genetics, neuropsychology Education and Degrees Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical School B.S. in Biology from the University of North Dakota Bio My journey into neurobiology began in the gross anatomy cadaver lab at the University of North Dakota. This led me to start pursuing molecular neurobiology, with a specific interest in the cellular...
Expertise Areas: Science Education, Ecology Education & Degrees Ph.D., Integrative and Systems Biology, University of Colorado Denver M.S., Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville B.S., Biology, Saint Louis University Bio I am a biology education researcher who primarily focuses on multicultural science education. I study student science identities and how history, family, and community shape the ways students perceive life experiences and their place in science. Additional biology education interests...
Expertise: Biomolecular NMR, Protein Structure and Function, Integrative Structural Biology, Infectious Disease, AI/ML, Automated NMR Analysis, Integrated Software, Big Data
M.S. Program • 2023 • Greene/Wilson Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
I'm interested in plant-fungal relationships. My thesis project is documenting the diversity of fungi associated with two plants that utilize carbon sourced from fungi.
Areas of Expertise: My content area of expertise and teaching focus are in immunology (and introduction to biology outside of UC, Denver). My interests in science education focus on creating more engaging, active learning approaches that increase equity and inclusion in learning and in the learning community. Currently, I am evaluating the contributions of Flip video assignments through qualitative and quantitative measures. Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is a free, simple video...
My research in behavioral neuroscience examines sex differences in stress resistance factors like exercise. Currently, I am investigating the neural circuits that mediate exercise-induced stress resistance in male and female rodents.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Miller lab develops and uses bioinformatic and genome-enabled approaches to study microbial communities. With the advent of new sequencing technologies, one can sequence billions or trillions of base pairs of DNA for relatively little money. One of the most powerful applications of this new economy is the direct sequencing of microbial DNA and RNA from the environment. The combination of deep sequencing and bioinformatics reveals that even “simple” natural microbial communities are in fact quite complex. The Miller lab is interested in understanding this complexity at a systems level for microbial communities relevant to the environment, bioenergy production, and human health and disease.
PhD • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: Evolutionary ecology, eco-physiology, global change, comparative methods, citizen science Education & Degrees PhD – Case Western Reserve University 2019 MS – Murray State University 2014 BS – Gonzaga University 2011 Bio Dr. Moore studies physiological and developmental limits on evolution. His research with dragonflies and amphibians details why organisms have been able to adapt to some environments but not others. This work also helps us predict the ways...
Interests: I am interested in self-organization and its intersection in social insects (ants) and neuroscience. Both are centerless systems which nonetheless exhibit flexible, directed behavior which arises from their constitutive parts. My research centers on recruitment and warfare in the pavement ant Tetramorium immigrans , a widespread tramp species across Europe and North America.
Research Interest: I am interested in evolutionary ecology, animal behavior, and wildlife conservation through the lens of global change. I am driven to explore how wildfire and extreme events affect wildlife populations. Currently, I am researching how habitats burned by wildfire impact the sexually selected traits of dragonflies.
Expertise Areas: Plant Sciences Education and Degrees Postdoctoral Fellow , Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany PhD. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. MS. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. BA. Biology , Macalester College. Bio I am a plant molecular systematist and evolutionary biologist. I am interested in evolutionary relationships at the border of species and populations and have studied both the pantropical understory shrub genus Psychotria (Rubiaceae) and Hawaiian...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My broad research interests include animal population dynamics and behavioral ecology. Currently, my research focuses on migratory ecology and demography of an inland breeding shorebird of conservation interest, the Mountain Plover. I am interested in how migration strategies vary between individuals across the landscape and how this variation is affected by environment and phenotype. Additionally, how does this variation translate to population level effects on seasonal distribution and population...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Ragland Lab is interested in the process of local adaptation to changing environments, and the mechanisms underlying animal hibernation. Our goal is to understand the mechanisms and targets of natural selection, integrating studies from genomes, to physiology, to whole organism performance. Please refer to the lab website for more information: https://seasonaladaptation.org
Ed.D. • Senior Instructor • Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Integrative Biology
Education & Degrees University of Colorado Denver, Doctor of Education, Leadership for Educational Equity 2014 Walden University, Masters in Public Health, 2008 University of Colorado Denver, Masters of Arts, Biology 2003 University of Colorado Boulder, Bachelor of Arts, Environmental, Populational, Organismal Biology 1995 Courses Taught BIOL 1550&1560: Basic Biology for non-biology majors BIOL 1136: Human Biology BIOL 1111: Biology First Year Seminar BIOL 2010: General Biology II
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of ESIL Certificate • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My interests include topics in microbiology and microbial ecology. I'm currently researching the degradation of 1,4-dioxane, a potentially carcinogenic chemical, by microorganisms at a Colorado landfill. My undergraduate research was focused on microbial fuel cells, a technology to harvest electricity from microorganisms.
Research Interests: Urban and Evolutionary Ecology, specifically how urban ecological and evolutionary processes can be better understood and used to inform environmentally conscious city and land-use management. My thesis work will involve surveys of water quality within City of Denver, and more specifically along the Highline Canal, using aquatic invertebrate and plant diversity as quality indicators.
M.S. Program • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: Center around camel spider (Solifuges) systematics. My focus is in analyzing currently used characters and devising morphometrics that may shed light on a complex group of camel spiders
Interests: My doctoral work is on limber pine at treeline in Rocky Mountain National Park, determining its treeline distribution, variables associated with its occurrence there, and the viability of limber pine seeds produced across high elevations. More broadly, my research interests include remote sensing and GIS applications to landscape ecology and biogeography, and restoration ecology under changing climate.
Audrey Spencer is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate researching the systematics and biogeography of Physocarpus (ninebark), helping elucidate the origins of the flora of the Southern Rockies. She uses genomic tools to tell the biogeographic story of plants with disjunct distributions.
Ph.D. • 2022 • Dr. John Fisk, CU Denver Department of Chemistry
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: I am interested in work to expand the genetic code via incorporation of noncanonical amino acids as well as working on developing a computational model of phage infection in filamentous bacteria for the purposes of modeling phage display and delving deeper into how to reverse bacterial "curing" during a phage infection. To learn more about our research, please visit our lab's website.
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.
Joseph has graduated into the department's PhD Program. Interests: designing a novel way to extract and isolate nascent-RNA in hopes to determine the thermal sensitivity of transcription.
Research Interests: Broadly I am interested in all things related to insects and have a passion for pollinators and how they interact with their environment. My research questions use Drosophila melanogaster to answer questions about developmental plasticity and further our understanding of how insects respond to cold stress.
Interests: My research interest is in nanomedicine, that is, using nano-sized materials in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. I focus on the fabrication of chemiluminescent and fluorescent nanoparticles for use in early detection and image-guided surgery of cancer for clinical use. I also work on the development of therapeutic contact lenses coated with metal chelators for the treatment of corneal diseases.
Areas of Expertise: I use molecular systematics to refine understanding of fungal diversity, and novel phylogenetic tools to test hypotheses regarding their evolution and ecology. I am currently expanding my research into population genetics.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of Graduate Program • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative 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.
I am interested in how the evolution of ornaments conflicts with locomotor performance and fitness using stalk-eyed flies as a model system. To test for flight biomechanical costs associated with the elongated eye stalks, I film escape performance of flies in simulated predator attacks using high-speed videography.
M.S. Program • 2022 • Rebecca Hufft, Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: I am interested in using Terrestrial Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) data collected in burn scars on public lands to determine if current land management decisions are efficient in restoration efforts post- wildfire.
Expertise Areas: Since graduating with my PhD in behavioral neuroendocrinology in 1998, I have held post-doctoral appointments in several labs in several disciplines - at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy I worked on the molecular mechanisms regulating DNA replication and cell-cycle arrest; in the Division of Endocrinology at the CU Health Sciences Center, I worked on coactivators and corepressors of the progesterone receptor and their role in the regulation of breast cancer. I held a National Research Council postdoctoral research position working with the USGS on the seasonal effects of endocrine disrupters and most recently worked at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics looking at the association between behavioral disorders and genes for several neurotransmitter-associated proteins. Although I am still very interested in the interaction between environmental endocrine disrupters and seasonal reproduction and the genetic and endocrine basis of behavior, since 2002 most of my professional time has been devoted to teaching. I am fascinated by the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie behavior and physiology and thoroughly enjoy sharing that interest with students in anatomy, physiology, and exercise physiology.
Expertise Areas: Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology Education & Degrees DDS - University of Missouri in Kansas City MBA - Baker University, Baldwin City, KS BA - Creighton University, Omaha, NE Bio BBB Selected Publications PPP Courses Taught Human Anatomy and Mechanisms of Pathology
Expertise Areas: Dr. Bruederle's research interests include the evolution of species rich genera such as Carex (Cyperaceae), which comprises approximately 2000 species worldwide. He is interested specifically in the evolutionary mechanisms that facilitate speciation in this large genus. Additional interests include: plant systematics at and below the level of genus, population genetics and endemism, conservation genetics, and biogeography. He is also interested in the implementation, institutionalization, and assessment of undergraduate research.
Interests: Julie is a doctoral research fellow with the National Science Foundation. Her research interests are interdisciplinary in the fields of ecology literacy, environmental education, and ethnographic research. Through studying the intersections of ecological systems, environmental education, and socio-historical equity, she creates culturally inclusive pedagogy and equitable evaluation practices. She has extensive background experience in designing, managing, and evaluating formal and informal K-12 science education programs, as well as conducting...
Interests: I am broadly interested in understanding how plant communities respond to and interact with disturbance in forested ecosystems and how changing plant communities influence biogeochemistry, biogeography, and energy balances. Currently, I am pursuing these interests in the temperate coastal rainforest of Southeast Alaska. Please visit my professional website for more information, https://www.trevoracarter.com/
Gabrielle’s research interests include urban ecology and native wildflowers of Colorado. She is especially interested in the resiliency of native plants in the face of climate change and urbanization.
Interest: I'm interested in urban raptor ecology and the urban wildlife information network. Please visit my professional website for more information. https://www.alyssadavidge.com/
Interests: Demographics, Species Distribution Modeling, Population Genetics, Plant Conservation. The study of applied plant conservation. I conduct field research on plant population dynamics and model species distributions, population level genetic structure, and response to climate change.
Research interest: My research focuses on developing computational methods to enhance the quality of NMR data and using NMR techniques to investigate how proteins interact with RNA.
Expertise Areas: First year Experience/Success of STEM students and Health Professions Advising Education & Degrees PhD., Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, 1996 M.A., Neurophysiology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1987 B.A., Biology, University of Colorado, Denver, 1985 Bio Dr. Ferguson has been on the faculty at the University of Colorado Denver since 1985 and teaches in the Dept. of Integrative Biology. He has been nationally recognized for excellence in teaching and...
Interests: include restoration ecology, seed-based conservation, and plant ecology. Her PhD dissertation is on the ‘Implications of Local Adaptation on Seed Sourcing for North American Prairie Restoration Under Climate Change’. She conducts field, greenhouse, and genetic research on prairie restoration at Denver Botanic Gardens York St. and Chatfield Farms.
Ph.D. • 2018 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: Desert zombies, mata vendados, spawns of satan, and madre de alacranes are all colloquial names for camel spiders. Camel spiders, in the arachnid order Solifugae, are an interesting and perplexing group of arachnids distributed on all continents except Antarctica and Australia. Erika Garcia is a doctoral student based at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science working with Dr. Paula Cushing on camel spiders within the family Eremobatidae...
M.S. Program • Ackerfield, Bruederle and Ragland Lab
Department of Integrative Biology
Interest: Tiffany is a first-year master’s student and botanist advised by Dr. Jennifer Ackerfield, Dr. Leo Bruederle, and Dr. Greg Ragland. She is interested in the processes of evolution and speciation at a molecular level. Tiffany’s research involves examining the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Eutrema , specifically through the lens of chromosome duplication. She is exploring how this phenomenon contributes to within-genus diversification and distribution. Tiffany will be applying...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My science education research interests are concerned with assessing and improving how students understand biological concepts and apply scientific principles, especially concepts and principles related to ecology. I work at both the undergraduate and grades 6-12 levels. My approach to this research employs both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods. I enjoy working on large-scale, multi-faceted collaborative projects that seek to answer transformative and often complicated research questions. Thus, some of the projects I work on involve many collaborators from across the country. My goals as a science education researcher are to make discoveries that can be used for improving pedagogy and assessment in undergraduate biology education and for informing the development of national science standards and practices for K-12 education. My ecological research bridges community and ecosystem ecology to explore how plant communities and soils respond to external factors such as intensive herbivory, nutrient inputs, emerging infectious diseases, and climate change. The model system that I work on has shaped and integrated the questions that I pursue. I study the impact of introduced bubonic plague on both urban and rural black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) communities. My field research involves mostly observational studies across space and time gradients. I conduct greenhouse experiments to further explore the mechanisms underlying the broad patterns I observe in the field. Much of my research is situated in and around urban Denver, making it easily accessible to UC Denver student researchers.
Research Interests: I’m a landscape and spatial ecologist, in my 4th-year as a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Colorado Denver. I work in the intersection of paleoecology, landscape ecology, and disturbance ecology, using field, lab, and modeling tools to study how ecosystems change over space and time.
Interests: Fear extinction, stress resilience, exercise, sex differences and estrous cycle effects. My research focuses specifically on the estrous cycle modulation of fear extinction learning and memory.
Ph.D. • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: My research adapts genomics tools to answer fundamental questions about the evolution of animal diversity. I focus on the regulatory control of gene expression during vertebrate development. My approach integrates functional and comparative genomics, developmental biology, and phylogenetics. My goal is to understand the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying the evolution of vertebrate morphology.
Research interests include understanding how young adults learn biological concepts using cooperative and phenomena-based approaches and how to best support teacher implementing those strategies.
Ph.D. • 2021 • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
I am currently studying evolutionary relationships between camel spiders (solifuges) using phylogenomics and revising taxonomic characters used to name camel spider species. I also am interested in camel spider behavior, specifically how they locate their prey and their use of daytime retreats.
M.S. Program • 2024 • Ackerfield Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
Ash Kerber is a first year Master’s student exploring the evolutionary history of rare alpine plants, specifically in the genus Polemonium, using floral scent and genetics. She plans to demonstrate how diverse alpine angiosperm adaptions can be, especially those that humans cannot see. Denver Botanic Gardens Graduate Students
Expertise Areas: Cellular and molecular neurobiology, neuropharmacology, synaptic development, hippocampal biology, general genetics, neuropsychology Education and Degrees Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical School B.S. in Biology from the University of North Dakota Bio My journey into neurobiology began in the gross anatomy cadaver lab at the University of North Dakota. This led me to start pursuing molecular neurobiology, with a specific interest in the cellular...
Expertise Areas: Science Education, Ecology Education & Degrees Ph.D., Integrative and Systems Biology, University of Colorado Denver M.S., Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville B.S., Biology, Saint Louis University Bio I am a biology education researcher who primarily focuses on multicultural science education. I study student science identities and how history, family, and community shape the ways students perceive life experiences and their place in science. Additional biology education interests...
Expertise: Biomolecular NMR, Protein Structure and Function, Integrative Structural Biology, Infectious Disease, AI/ML, Automated NMR Analysis, Integrated Software, Big Data
M.S. Program • 2023 • Greene/Wilson Lab • Denver Botanic Gardens
Department of Integrative Biology
I'm interested in plant-fungal relationships. My thesis project is documenting the diversity of fungi associated with two plants that utilize carbon sourced from fungi.
Areas of Expertise: My content area of expertise and teaching focus are in immunology (and introduction to biology outside of UC, Denver). My interests in science education focus on creating more engaging, active learning approaches that increase equity and inclusion in learning and in the learning community. Currently, I am evaluating the contributions of Flip video assignments through qualitative and quantitative measures. Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is a free, simple video...
My research in behavioral neuroscience examines sex differences in stress resistance factors like exercise. Currently, I am investigating the neural circuits that mediate exercise-induced stress resistance in male and female rodents.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Miller lab develops and uses bioinformatic and genome-enabled approaches to study microbial communities. With the advent of new sequencing technologies, one can sequence billions or trillions of base pairs of DNA for relatively little money. One of the most powerful applications of this new economy is the direct sequencing of microbial DNA and RNA from the environment. The combination of deep sequencing and bioinformatics reveals that even “simple” natural microbial communities are in fact quite complex. The Miller lab is interested in understanding this complexity at a systems level for microbial communities relevant to the environment, bioenergy production, and human health and disease.
PhD • Assistant Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: Evolutionary ecology, eco-physiology, global change, comparative methods, citizen science Education & Degrees PhD – Case Western Reserve University 2019 MS – Murray State University 2014 BS – Gonzaga University 2011 Bio Dr. Moore studies physiological and developmental limits on evolution. His research with dragonflies and amphibians details why organisms have been able to adapt to some environments but not others. This work also helps us predict the ways...
Interests: I am interested in self-organization and its intersection in social insects (ants) and neuroscience. Both are centerless systems which nonetheless exhibit flexible, directed behavior which arises from their constitutive parts. My research centers on recruitment and warfare in the pavement ant Tetramorium immigrans , a widespread tramp species across Europe and North America.
Research Interest: I am interested in evolutionary ecology, animal behavior, and wildlife conservation through the lens of global change. I am driven to explore how wildfire and extreme events affect wildlife populations. Currently, I am researching how habitats burned by wildfire impact the sexually selected traits of dragonflies.
Expertise Areas: Plant Sciences Education and Degrees Postdoctoral Fellow , Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany PhD. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. MS. Botany , University of Wisconsin Madison. BA. Biology , Macalester College. Bio I am a plant molecular systematist and evolutionary biologist. I am interested in evolutionary relationships at the border of species and populations and have studied both the pantropical understory shrub genus Psychotria (Rubiaceae) and Hawaiian...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My broad research interests include animal population dynamics and behavioral ecology. Currently, my research focuses on migratory ecology and demography of an inland breeding shorebird of conservation interest, the Mountain Plover. I am interested in how migration strategies vary between individuals across the landscape and how this variation is affected by environment and phenotype. Additionally, how does this variation translate to population level effects on seasonal distribution and population...
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
Expertise Areas: The Ragland Lab is interested in the process of local adaptation to changing environments, and the mechanisms underlying animal hibernation. Our goal is to understand the mechanisms and targets of natural selection, integrating studies from genomes, to physiology, to whole organism performance. Please refer to the lab website for more information: https://seasonaladaptation.org
Ed.D. • Senior Instructor • Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Integrative Biology
Education & Degrees University of Colorado Denver, Doctor of Education, Leadership for Educational Equity 2014 Walden University, Masters in Public Health, 2008 University of Colorado Denver, Masters of Arts, Biology 2003 University of Colorado Boulder, Bachelor of Arts, Environmental, Populational, Organismal Biology 1995 Courses Taught BIOL 1550&1560: Basic Biology for non-biology majors BIOL 1136: Human Biology BIOL 1111: Biology First Year Seminar BIOL 2010: General Biology II
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of ESIL Certificate • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative Biology
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.
Interests: My interests include topics in microbiology and microbial ecology. I'm currently researching the degradation of 1,4-dioxane, a potentially carcinogenic chemical, by microorganisms at a Colorado landfill. My undergraduate research was focused on microbial fuel cells, a technology to harvest electricity from microorganisms.
Research Interests: Urban and Evolutionary Ecology, specifically how urban ecological and evolutionary processes can be better understood and used to inform environmentally conscious city and land-use management. My thesis work will involve surveys of water quality within City of Denver, and more specifically along the Highline Canal, using aquatic invertebrate and plant diversity as quality indicators.
M.S. Program • Cushing Lab, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Department of Integrative Biology
Interests: Center around camel spider (Solifuges) systematics. My focus is in analyzing currently used characters and devising morphometrics that may shed light on a complex group of camel spiders
Interests: My doctoral work is on limber pine at treeline in Rocky Mountain National Park, determining its treeline distribution, variables associated with its occurrence there, and the viability of limber pine seeds produced across high elevations. More broadly, my research interests include remote sensing and GIS applications to landscape ecology and biogeography, and restoration ecology under changing climate.
Audrey Spencer is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate researching the systematics and biogeography of Physocarpus (ninebark), helping elucidate the origins of the flora of the Southern Rockies. She uses genomic tools to tell the biogeographic story of plants with disjunct distributions.
Ph.D. • 2022 • Dr. John Fisk, CU Denver Department of Chemistry
Department of Integrative Biology
Research Interests: I am interested in work to expand the genetic code via incorporation of noncanonical amino acids as well as working on developing a computational model of phage infection in filamentous bacteria for the purposes of modeling phage display and delving deeper into how to reverse bacterial "curing" during a phage infection. To learn more about our research, please visit our lab's website.
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.
Joseph has graduated into the department's PhD Program. Interests: designing a novel way to extract and isolate nascent-RNA in hopes to determine the thermal sensitivity of transcription.
Research Interests: Broadly I am interested in all things related to insects and have a passion for pollinators and how they interact with their environment. My research questions use Drosophila melanogaster to answer questions about developmental plasticity and further our understanding of how insects respond to cold stress.
Interests: My research interest is in nanomedicine, that is, using nano-sized materials in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. I focus on the fabrication of chemiluminescent and fluorescent nanoparticles for use in early detection and image-guided surgery of cancer for clinical use. I also work on the development of therapeutic contact lenses coated with metal chelators for the treatment of corneal diseases.
Areas of Expertise: I use molecular systematics to refine understanding of fungal diversity, and novel phylogenetic tools to test hypotheses regarding their evolution and ecology. I am currently expanding my research into population genetics.
Ph.D. • Associate Professor • Director of Graduate Program • Biology Research Faculty
Department of Integrative 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.
