Graduate Students

The Department of Biological Sciences offers graduate training leading to the MS in Biological Sciences or the PhD in Integrative Biology. Students work closely with the research faculty to select appropriate courses and conduct independent research. Many projects are funded through state and federal grants and contracts. Student research frequently involves collaboration with other scientists from other institutions or field work in diverse settings.

Graduate Student	Advisor and Interests
Fadeke Ibukun Adeola	M.S. Program Advisor: Lailvaux Research:  Email:
Courtney Babin	Ph.D. Program Advisor: Bell Research: My research is focused on the effects of polyploidy on the evolution and ecological niche differentiation among North American wild onion (Allium, Amaryllidaceae). Email:
Amita Bhattarai	M.S. Program Advisor: Liu Research:  Email:
Manika Bhondeley	Ph.D. Program Advisor: Liu Research: I am using the budding yeast as a model organism to study the regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis. My project focuses on the regulation of Hap4, a master regulator of expression of genes encoding mitochondrial proteins. Hap4 is subject to both transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulations. I hope to gain insights into how mitochondrial biogenesis adapts to changes in the external and internal cellular environments. Email:
Rebecca Callaway	M.S. Program Advisor: Howard Research:  Email:
Lindsay Carrigee	Ph.D. Program Advisor: Schluchter Research: My research involves the characterization of proteins involved in type IV chromatic acclimation in marine species of cyanobacteria (Synechococcus spp). This acclimation process involves regulation of enzymes which vary chromophore attachment to light harvesting proteins in order to optimize them for photosynthesis in either blue or green light. I am exploring the role of several putative enzymes in this process using heterologous expression systems in E. coli. Email:
Madeline Chenevert	M.S. Program Advisor: Atallah Research: Dr. Atallah's lab measures and compares levels of RNA expression at different points throughout the development of Drosophila flies. I hope to incorporate the effects of hormone changes on development into my research. Email:
Jasmine Harris	M.S. Program Advisor: Rees Research:  Email:
Patricia Peterson	Ph.D. Program Advisor: Liu Research: We use the budding yeast as a model organism to study transcriptional regulation and expression of genes encoding mitochondrial proteins. Mitochondria participate in a diverse array of physiological processes and our goal is to understand the molecular mechanism underlying mitochondrial biogenesis. My project focuses on genes of the Mediator complex and how they are involved in achieving mitochondrial homeostasis. Email:ppepper@my.uno.edu
Devin Preston	Ph.D. Program Advisor: Johnson Research: I am interested what drives, maintains, and limits the evolution of phenotypic plasticity in natural populations. I am using populations of the eastern lubber grasshopper,Romalea guttata (Microptera) to investigate temporal and spatial environmental heterogeneity as potential drivers of phenotypic plasticity. Email:
Gina Marie Profetto	Ph.D. Program  Advisor: Howard Research: I am studying the residual effects of Kudzu on its surrounding environment post to treatment. By looking at the effects on biodiversity, soil and, nearby water systems, I am able to see if the environment is resilient in that it reverts back to a pre-invaded state.  Email: gprofett@uno.edu
Jessica Reemeyer	M.S. Program Advisor: Rees Research: Hypoxia is currently an increasingly pervasive occurrence in freshwater and marine ecosystems. As oxygen is required on a biochemical level for the survival of most animals, hypoxia can have negative effects on an animal’s performance by limiting its capacity for aerobic metabolic activity. My research aims to investigate how some aspects of an individual fish’s physiology allows it to cope with this stressor better than other individuals of the same species. Broadly, I’m interested in the interaction between environmental factors and physiological performance in fishes.  Email: jereemey@uno.edu
Trent Santonastaso	Ph.D. Program  Advisor: Anthony Research: We are characterizing immunogenes in the reptile genome. Along with these genes under selective pressure we will use microsatellite multiplexes to determine how parasites influence host genetic structure both spatially and temporally. Email: tsantona@my.uno.edu
Christie Sukhdeo	Ph.D. Program  Advisor: Anthony and T. Keith Philips (WKU) Research: I am interested in using molecular tools and morphological characters to characterize the dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) fauna of Cameroon, Africa in terms of their species richness and phylogenetic diversity (i.e. distinct evolutionary histories). I aim to test the hypothesis that montane lineages of dung beetles are younger than the adjacent lowland lineages. Support for this hypothesis would provide evidence that montane areas play important roles in driving lineage diversification. I am also interested in examining the impacts of bush-meat hunting on co-dependent invertebrate communities.  Email:
Anna Weber	M.S. Program Advisor: Anthony Research: My current research focuses on inbreeding prevalence and avoidance in a group of mandrills in Lopé National Park, Gabon. Specifically, we aim to determine whether female mandrills choose mates based on genetic dissimilarity in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), a set of genes with important immune function. I am broadly interested in the use of genetic tools in biological conservation and ecology. Email: aweber2@uno.edu
Henry Woolley	Ph.D. Program Advisor: Howard Research: : We are working to quantify the effects that different factors of habitat quality have on the recruitment success of the endangered Mississippi sandhill crane (Grus canadensis pulla). My research interests lie in understanding the mechanisms and conservation implications of habitat-level ecosystem processes. Email: