Faculty

Dr. Vanessa Beauchamp

Plant ecology, Restoration, Invasive species, Riparian, Wetland, Succession

I am a plant community ecologist and my research looks at deer impacts and forest succession, ecology and impacts of invasive plant species, and restoration of riparian and wetland habitats. 

Dr. Beauchamp


Dr. Harald Beck

Mammal-plant interaction, Seed dispersal and predation, Impact of
White-tail Deer on Forest Ecosystems

My research interests include mammal-plant interaction, multi trophic-level interactions, and ecosystem engineering in temperate and tropical ecosystems. Recently, my research focuses on the effects of hyper-abundance of ungulates in the northern hemisphere and defaunation of ungulates in the southern hemisphere. My study sites are located within the Peruvian Amazonas and forests in Maryland.

Dr. Beck


Dr. Alice Besterman
Recruiting for Fall 2024

Coastal/Aquatic ecology, Wetlands, Mudflats, Avian ecology, Habitat selection, Restoration and adaptation

My lab's research fundamentally addresses how ecosystem geomorphic structure (size, shape, heterogeneity, connectivity) influences ecosystem function and habitat-use by animals. We often work in coastal environments (though any aquatic-terrestrial linkages are of interest), and consider socially-relevant questions related to conservation of wildlife habitat. Typically, research questions will address interactions between water, mud, sometimes plants, and birds. 

Dr. Besterman


Dr. Mark Bulmer

Molecular Evolution, Behavioral Ecology, Social Insects, Entomopathogens,Innate Immunity, Social Immunity

Social insects live in crowded conditions that should be conducive to the spread of disease. Research in my lab focuses on how termites achieve high levels of resistance to infections. This includes investigation of behavioral and molecular defenses.

Dr. Bulmer


Dr. Daniel Caetano

Systematics, Phylogenetics, Evolution, Morphology, 
Phylogenetic Comparative Methods, Computational Biology

The central aim of my research is to understand how evolution has unfolded over deep time using the phylogenetic relationships among lineages and their fossil record. My current work can be divided into three branches: 1) the study of trait evolution using phylogenetic trees; 2) the development and implementation of statistical approaches to study macroevolution using phylogenies; and 3) the evaluation and improvement of current models.

Dr. Caetano


Dr. Jacqueline Doyle

Population Genetics, Conservation Genomics

My research program aims to use rapidly developing genomic approaches to facilitate the management of threatened species.  At Towson University, undergraduate and graduate researchers and I have resolved the phylogenetic relationship of prairie falcons relative to other falcon species, tested for viability selection in golden and imperial eagles and considered the effect of translocations on heterozygosity in genetically depauperate Allegheny woodrat populations.   

Dr. Doyle


Dr. Elana Ehrlich

Cell Biology, Virology, Ubiquitin, Herpesvirus, Cancer

We study the function of ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins in the transition of KSHV from latency to lytic replication. I also have a collaborative project with Dr. Mary Devadas (Department of Chemistry, Towson University) where we study the role of the Cullin 5 ubiquitin ligase in resistance to Hsp90 inhibitors.

Dr. Ehrlich


Dr. Anne Estes
Recruiting for Fall 2023

Host-microbe interactions, Microbiology, Microbial Ecology
and Evolution,
Genomics

Dr. Anne Estes is an integrative biologist interested in the effect of the host diet and physiology on the genome and evolution of the host’s microbiome. The Estes laboratory examines the effect of diet and antibiotic perturbation of the dung beetle digestive system microbiome, an insect essential to human and environmental health. 

Dr. Estes


Dr. Brian Fath
Recruiting for Fall 2024

Systems Ecology, Network Analysis, Sustainability, Environmental Assessment

The goal of my research is to understand better Sustainability Science, which I address using three different approaches: network analysis, integrated environmental assessment, and complex systems science. Sustainability Science is a critically important area that encompasses a broad range of research interests including ecosystem services, biodiversity, natural resources, human cultures, and specific environments. I use network analysis to investigate thermodynamic sustainability indicators.

Dr. Fath


Dr. Laura Gough

Community and Ecosystem Ecology

I am broadly interested in plant communities and how they interact with other trophic levels, including soil organisms. My recent research has been focused in arctic tundra. My recent graduate students have worked in the Alaskan Arctic investigating effects of small mammal herbivory on tundra ecosystems and in the mid-Atlantic looking at effects of invasive species and ecosystem restoration on plant communities.

Dr. Gough


Dr. Sarah Haines

Science Education, Outdoor Education, Environmental Education,
Teaching and Learning

My research interests lie in the areas of science education, and in particular, environmental education. My focus is on improving preservice and inservice teacher knowledge and training in the area of environmental education, and promoting environmental education and awareness among students in grades K-12. My most current research has involved studying the effects of exposure to environmental education on student achievement, pedagogical techniques for outdoor teaching and learning, and the connection between civic engagement and environmental education.

Dr. Haines


Dr. Erin Harberts

Innate Immunity, Cell-signaling, Host-pathogen Interactions

Innate immune signaling molecules called pattern recognition receptors (PRR) recognize conserved molecular signatures from every order of life including plants, fungi, bacteria, viruses, and mammals. Recognition of a ligand by PRR leads to specific immediate upregulation of immune responses that are tailored to appropriately respond to the stimuli detected. These signaling pathways represent a mechanism for organisms to communicate and adapt to the environment they are living in and defend against changes and infections that threaten survival. My research investigates the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of innate immune ligands and PRR.

Dr. Harberts


Dr. Steve Kimble

Herpetology, Microbiome, Genetics

I am interested in using several tools from the genetics toolkit to study conservation problems in reptiles and amphibians. Examples include the genetic basis for ranaviral resistance in box turtles, the microbiome of box turtles, and the population genetics of map turtles.

Dr. Kimble


Dr.  Matt Hemm

Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Small Proteins, Bacteria

In our lab we identify and characterize small proteins, broadly defined as those proteins containing 50 or fewer amino acids, in the bacterium Escherichia coli.  It is unknown how many small proteins are encoded in any genome, and one half of our lab focuses on identifying new small proteins in E. coli.  The other half of the lab works to characterize the function of known small proteins.  

Dr. Hemm


Dr. Iskander Ibrahim
Recruiting for Fall 2024

Photosynthesis, Plant development, Chloroplast-to-nucleus communication

The central goal of my lab is to understand how photosynthesis is regulated under various abiotic stress conditions. Possible projects includes: 1) identifying the full scope of photosynthetic gene regulatory networks for chloroplasts and cyanobacteria; 2) the mechanism by which chloroplasts communicate with the nucleus to regulate plant development; and 3) the regulation of cyanobacterial CO2-concentrating mechanism, with the aim of genetically engineering C3 plants to improve their low photosynthetic efficiency caused by photorespiration under current atmospheric CO2 concentrations.

Dr. Ibrahim


Dr. John LaPolla
Recruiting for Fall 2024

Ants, Taxonomy, Systematics, Morphology, Biodiversity, Symbiosis

 I am a biodiversity scientist, fascinated with understanding the global diversity of ants. As such my students and I conduct research involving revisionary taxonomy, building phylogenies, studies on the structure and function of morphological features of ants and their associates and spend as much time as we can in the field. My research has focused on two aspects of ant diversity: understanding the mutualistic relationships Acropyga ants have with mealybugs and revisionary taxonomic work within the subfamily Formicinae.

Dr. LaPolla


Dr. Sarah Longo
Recruiting for Fall 2024

Evolution, Biomechanics, Morphology, Organismal Biology,
Aquatic Animals, Vertebrates

My research program investigates how animals work and how function evolves across broad evolutionary timescales by focusing on ecologically relevant traits in a variety of systems. For instance, my research includes studying innovations in the feeding mechanisms in fishes, the evolution of cranial structures in various vertebrate groups, and the biomechanics of claw snapping in pistol shrimp. 

Dr. Longo


Dr. Jay Nelson

Physiological ecology fish respiration performance

My research interests are to understand how the environment controls life processes in fish and how fish can respond to environmental change, especially those enacted by human activities. Climate change and other anthropogenic factors are altering fish habitat across the globe including warming of waters and expansion of hypoxic and anoxic dead zones. My lab is currently examining hypoxia tolerance in Chesapeake Bay fishes and how small stream minnows in Maryland deal with progressive urbanization.

 Dr. Nelson


Dr. Chris Oufiero

Physiology, Evolution, Organismal, Ecology, Ectotherms,
Functional Morphology

My lab is interested in understanding the evolution of whole-organismal performance traits to determine how ecology affects the way an organism works. This includes studies focused on comparing the morphology and performance of organisms within a species and among species. Currently my lab is focusing on prey capture in praying mantises from biomechanic, ecological, and physiological perspectives. 

Dr. Oufiero


Dr. Will Ryan

Evolution, Ecology, Marine Biology, Invertebrates,
Global Change, Population Genetics

The Ryan Lab studies intra-specific variation in marine invertebrate species to understand how mechanisms at the intersection of ecology and evolution drive adaptation and maintain biodiversity. We are particularly interested in understanding variation across species' geographic range, the role of phenotypic plasticity in adaptation, the evolution of clonality and other features of complete life cycles, and the interplay between life cycle and mating system variation and population genetic structure. We work in intertidal and shallow estuarine environments on many coastlines. 

Dr. Ryan


Dr. Christopher Salice

Ecotoxicology, Population Ecology, Bioaccumulation, PFAS,
Simulation Modeling, Conservation

Research in the Salice lab incorporates laboratory, field and modeling approaches to better understand the effects of anthropogenic stressors on ecological systems. Currently, we have projects exploring the impacts of iron in stream communities and the fate and effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in ecological systems. 

Dr. Salice


Dr. Jack Shepard

Neuroscience, Behavior, Pharmacology, Physiology, Stress, Anxiety

My research focuses on understanding the neural circuits that underlie fear and anxiety. Specifically, we want to understand how these circuits can transition from a normal fear response to excessive activation producing a maladaptive state of anxiety. Understanding these circuits may lead to developing better treatments for anxiety disorders.

Dr. Shepard


Dr. Vonnie Shields

Neuroscience, Neurophysiology, Insect-plant Interactions, Olfaction,
Gustation, Vision, Behavior, Microscopy

Exploration of the importance of gustatory, olfactory, and visual cues in the selection of food sources (attractants and repellents) by insects involving behavioral, microscopic, and electrophysiological studies.

Dr. Shields


Dr. Michelle Snyder

Immunology, Microbiology, Host-pathogen Interactions,
Innate Immunity, Bacterial Pathogenesis

Our lab focuses on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying host-pathogen interactions.  The main projects in the lab right now are related to bacterial evasion of host innate immune mechanisms, including evasion of innate pattern recognition signaling pathways. We use model organisms, including E. coli and Dictyostelium discoideum, as well as mammalian cell lines to probe these immune evasion mechanisms.

Dr. Snyder


Dr. Petra ("Peko") Tsuji
Recruiting for Fall 2024

Colorectal cancer, molecular biology, cell signaling, polyphenols, nutrients

Our laboratory investigates the molecular mechanisms of colon cancer and inflammation. In particular, the use of dietary compounds as preventive strategies are of interest. Biological models utilized include primarily human and mouse cell lines. Current projects focus on the trace mineral selenium and the cereal grain Sorghum (USDA collaboration).

Dr. Tsuji


Dr. John Weldon

Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Antibody Engineering, 
Recombinant Immunotoxins, Cancer Therapeutics

I am interested in protein function at a molecular level, and how we can manipulate the behavior of proteins through directed engineering and external modulators. My research uses techniques from molecular biology, biochemistry, and cell biology to examine the control of protein synthesis by the bacterial toxin Pseudomonas exotoxin A (PE). I am particularly interested in the intracellular trafficking of PE and PE-based toxin conjugates, the unique diphthamide target of PE, and the use of toxin conjugate molecules therapeutically.

Dr. Weldon