Research
The faculty in the Department of Biology, in collaboration with graduate and undergraduate ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs, investigate a wide range of research questions in the biological sciences. They test hypotheses in the realms of animal behavior; biotechnology; ecology and environmental biology; evolutionary biology; molecular, cell and developmental biology; physiology and neuroscience; plant biology and botany; and organismal biology.
Faculty by Research Interests
Students can become involved in research through the First Year Research Experience (FYRE) or they may peruse the descriptions of faculty research areas within the various subdisciplines of the biological sciences and contact faculty directly. Faculty and ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs conduct research from Molecular Biology to Ecosystem Ecology and the myriad subdisciplines in between. The following faculty are presently supervising (or are interested in supervising) graduate and undergraduate ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs:
- Jonathan Bauer
- Plant ecology; ecological restoration; sustainable agriculture; plant-microbe interactions
- David J. Berg
- Michelle D. Boone
- Thomas O. Crist
- Melany C. Fisk
- Laura Abondano Franco
- Behavioral ecology (particularly on primates); tropical ecology; animal behavior; reproductive strategies; community-based conservation
- Maria J. Gonzalez
- Aquatic ecology, food web interactions, food chain efficiency, zooplankton-fish interactions
- David L. Gorchov
- Plant population ecology; biological invasions; invasive plants; seed dispersal
- Deidra Jacobsen
- Plant-insect interactions, evolutionary ecology, insect behavior, pollination, herbivory
- Tereza Jekova
- Biogeography, phylogeography, population and landscape genetics and genomics; molecular ecology; species responses to climate change; mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects
- Lesley Knoll
- Aquatic ecology; ecosystem and community ecology; lake-watershed connections
- Kevin Matteson
- M. Henry H. Stevens
- Population and community ecology; ecological statistics
- Steven Sullivan
- Urban ecology; human engagement with biodiversity; squirrel ecology; taxidermy; museum sciences; biological specimen preservation and restoration
- Jonathan Bauer
- Plant ecology; ecological restoration; sustainable agriculture; plant-microbe interactions
- David J. Berg
- Phylogeography and evolution of aquatic invertebrates; biodiversity and conservation of imperiled aquatic organisms, especially freshwater mussels and desert spring invertebrates
- Michelle D. Boone
- Conservation biology; amphibian biology; ecotoxicology; disease ecology; land-use impacts; science communication
- Dean Castillo
- Behavior, Neurobiology, Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Speciation
- Thomas O. Crist
- Landscape ecology; biodiversity; conservation biology; insect ecology; statistical ecology
- Melany C. Fisk
- Forest ecosystems; biogeochemistry; soil microbial processes; plant-soil interactions
- Maria J. Gonzalez
- Aquatic ecology, food web interactions, food chain efficiency, zooplankton-fish interactions
- David L. Gorchov
- Plant population ecology; biological invasions; invasive plants; seed dispersal
- Susan M. Hoffman
- Genetic and morphological changes in small mammal populations in response to changing climatic conditions: population genetics; conservation; Peromyscus; climate change
- Deidra Jacobsen
- Plant-insect interactions, evolutionary ecology, insect behavior, pollination, herbivory
- Tereza Jekova
- Biogeography, phylogeography, population and landscape genetics and genomics; molecular ecology; species responses to climate change; mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects
- Lesley Knoll
- Aquatic ecology; ecosystem and community ecology; lake-watershed connections
- Zheng Li
- Polyploidy, Botany, Evolutionary Genomics, Gene and Genome Duplication, Insect Evolution, Plant Evolution, Genome Evolution
- Kevin Matteson
- Nicholas P. Money
- Mechanisms of fungal growth, reproduction, and pathogenesis; fungal evolution; indoor molds
- Richard C. Moore
- Plant evolutionary genetics and genomics; evolution of sex chromosomes; plant population genetics; plant domestication
- David E. Russell
- M. Henry H. Stevens
- Population and community ecology; ecological statistics
- Dawn M. Blitz
- Neural circuits underlying rhythmic behaviors; cellular and synaptic mechanisms of plasticity; neuromodulation; electrophysiology; confocal microscopy
- Dean Castillo
- Behavior, Neurobiology, Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Speciation
- Mark Charlton-Perkins
- Gene expression patterns of retinal and neural development; the genetics of cell morphogenesis and cell shape determination; transcriptional regulation of glia differentiation; the genetics of nervous system diseases
- Katia Del Rio-Tsonis
- Tissue regeneration; engineering and stem cell biology; developmental biology of animal models; retina and lens development and regeneration
- Joyce J. Fernandes
- Neuromuscular development; remodeling of motor circuits; glial ensheathment of peripheral nerves
- Paul A. Harding
- ADAM12S; brown adipose tissue; HB-EGF; white adipose tissue; cellular reprogramming
- Susan M. Hoffman
- Genetic and morphological changes in small mammal populations in response to changing climatic conditions: population genetics; conservation; Peromyscus; climate change
- Paul F. James
- Molecular physiology of membrane transporters; molecular genetics of sperm physiology; male reproductive biology; epigenetics; engineered modification of the genome; tissue engineering of bone and cartilage
- Tereza Jekova
- Biogeography, phylogeography, population and landscape genetics and genomics; molecular ecology; species responses to climate change; mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects
- Kathleen A. Killian
- Neurobiology; factors regulating adult neurogenesis; insect innate immunity and agonistic behavior
- Andor J. Kiss
- Comparative biochemistry; physiological genomics; adaptational physiology
- Zheng Li
- Polyploidy, Botany, Evolutionary Genomics, Gene and Genome Duplication, Insect Evolution, Plant Evolution, Genome Evolution
- Chun Liang
- Bioinformatics; biological database; data mining; RNA biology; gene expression and regulation; transposons and repeatome
- Richard C. Moore
- Plant evolutionary genetics and genomics; evolution of sex chromosomes; plant population genetics; plant domestication
- Joey Ransdell
- Regulation of membrane excitability in neurons, neural circuit physiology in the cerebellum, ion channels; electrophysiology
- Michael L. Robinson
- Developmental genetics; eye development; differentiation; mouse genetics; embryonic stem cells; transgenic animals; epigenetics
- Jennifer A. Schumacher
- Zebrafish developmental biology and genetics; cardiovascular development; organogenesis; tissue morphogenesis; cardiac cell differentiation
- Haifei Shi
- Metabolic contribution of adipose tissue to energy balance and glucose homeostasis; sexual dimorphism in regulation of energy balance
- Payton Stevens
- Wnt signaling in cancer biology, tumor metastasis and migration, cell motility, planar-cell-polarity signaling in epithelial cells
- Yoshinori Tomoyasu
- Evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) using insect wings as a model system
- Tereza Jekova
- Biogeography, phylogeography, population and landscape genetics and genomics; molecular ecology; species responses to climate change; mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects
- Susan M. Hoffman
- Genetic and morphological changes in small mammal populations in response to changing climatic conditions: population genetics; conservation; Peromyscus; climate change
- Kathleen A. Killian
- Neurobiology; factors regulating adult neurogenesis; insect innate immunity and agonistic behavior
- Andor J. Kiss
- Comparative biochemistry; physiological genomics; adaptational physiology
- Zheng Li
- Polyploidy, Botany, Evolutionary Genomics, Gene and Genome Duplication, Insect Evolution, Plant Evolution, Genome Evolution
- David E. Russell
- Paul J. Schaeffer
- Comparative physiology; energetics; locomotion
- M. Henry H. Stevens
- Population and community ecology; ecological statistics
- Steven Sullivan
- Urban ecology; human engagement with biodiversity; squirrel ecology; taxidermy; museum sciences; biological specimen preservation and restoration
- Yoshinori Tomoyasu
- Evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) using insect wings as a model system
- Dawn M. Blitz
- Neural circuits underlying rhythmic behaviors; cellular and synaptic mechanisms of plasticity; neuromodulation; electrophysiology; confocal microscopy
- Dean Castillo
- Behavior, Neurobiology, Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Speciation
- Mark Charlton-Perkins
- Glial-neuron interactions; glial-derived support functions in the nervous system; glial diseases including neurodegeneration; tumour formation in the nervous system including peripheral neurofibroma and central glioma
- Katia Del Rio-Tsonis
- Tissue regeneration; engineering and stem cell biology; developmental biology of animal models; retina and lens development and regeneration
- Joyce J. Fernande
- Neuromuscular development; remodeling of motor circuits; glial ensheathment of peripheral nerves |
- Paul A. Harding
- ADAM12S; brown adipose tissue; HB-EGF; white adipose tissue; cellular reprogramming
- Tracy Haynes
- Cell signaling involved in eye regeneration
- Kathleen A. Killian
- Neurobiology; factors regulating adult neurogenesis; insect innate immunity and agonistic behavior
- Paul F. James
- Molecular physiology of membrane transporters; molecular genetics of sperm physiology; male reproductive biology; epigenetics; engineered modification of the genome; tissue engineering of bone and cartilage
- Joey Ransdell
- Regulation of membrane excitability in neurons, neural circuit physiology in the cerebellum, ion channels; electrophysiology
- Michael L. Robinson
- Developmental genetics; eye development; differentiation; mouse genetics; embryonic stem cells; transgenic animals; epigenetics
- Paul J. Schaeffer
- Comparative physiology; energetics; locomotion
- Haifei Shi
- Metabolic contribution of adipose tissue to energy balance and glucose homeostasis; sexual dimorphism in regulation of energy balance
- Jonathan Bauer
- Plant ecology; ecological restoration; sustainable agriculture; plant-microbe interactions
- Melany C. Fisk
- Forest ecosystems; biogeochemistry; soil microbial processes; plant-soil interactions
- David L. Gorchov
- Plant population ecology; biological invasions; invasive plants; seed dispersal
- Deidra Jacobsen
- Zheng Li
- Polyploidy, Botany, Evolutionary Genomics, Gene and Genome Duplication, Insect Evolution, Plant Evolution, Genome Evolution
- Chun Liang
- Bioinformatics; biological database; data mining; RNA biology; gene expression and regulation; transposons and repeatome
- Nicholas P. Money
- Mechanisms of fungal growth, reproduction, and pathogenesis; fungal evolution; indoor mold
- Richard C. Moore
- Plant evolutionary genetics and genomics; evolution of sex chromosomes; plant population genetics; plant domestication
- M. Henry H. Stevens
- Population and community ecology; ecological statistics
Support and Opportunities
There are many resources available to ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs in the Department of Biology for research and scholarship.
Graduate Opportunities
Academic Challenge Grants Program (for more information: biology@miamioh.edu)
Doctoral-Undergraduate Opportunities for Scholarship (DUOS)
The W. S. Turrell Herbarium Fund
Travel Support for Professional Meetings (for more information: biology@miamioh.edu)
Our Research Facilities
In addition to each faculty member having his/her own laboratory in which they conduct research with ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs, all researchers have access to the following state-of-the-art facilities:
Center for Advanced Microscopy and Imaging (CAMI)
CAMI serves the microscopy needs of both the biological and materials communities. Available for use without charge to the ºÚÁÏÉçÇø community, the center was designed specifically to best meet the environmental needs for advanced microscopy.
Center for Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics (CBFG)
CBFG is a state-of-the-art research and training facility available for all members of the university but is most heavily utilized by ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs in the Departments of Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Geology, and Microbiology.
Ecology Research Center
The ERC is home to ecological field research at ºÚÁÏÉçÇø and provides educational opportunities for middle, high school, and university ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs. This 175-acre field station contains sites and facilities supporting both aquatic and terrestrial research and also houses a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Department of Energy (DOE) meteorological station.
Robert A Hefner Museum of Natural History
The Hefner Museum of Natural History uses exhibits, collections and specimens, and interactive programs to teach visitors of all ages about animal biodiversity, conservation, and ecology. Now over 60 years old, the museum houses more than 53,000 specimens and is a favorite local fixture for area school children, in addition to Miami ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs.
Willard Sherman Turrell Herbarium
Ohio's largest herbarium, the Turrell center houses more than 600,000 specimens of vascular plants, bryophytes, algae, lichens, fungi, and fossil plants.
Natural Areas
Open to all Miamians and local communities, our thousands of acres of conserved land serve as a greenbelt around our campus, including the Bachelor Wildlife and Game Reserve, Silvoor Biological Sanctuary, the DeWitt Homestead and popular Peffer Park, and others.
Department of Biology
Students in undergraduate and graduate programs learn biological concepts taught by dedicated faculty and gain hands-on research experiences in the laboratory and field using first-class equipment, centers, and facilities. Our graduates pursue a wide variety of career paths in health, biotechnology, the environment, and plant science.