Steve Kimble, Ph.D.

Biography

My research interests revolve around the conservation of threatened species, typically reptiles and amphibians. Examples of projects I am working on include:

• Characterizing the microbiome of eastern box turtles in order to improve assessments of wildlife health
• How do the microbiomes of captive and free-ranging eastern box turtles differ?
• Do genetic differences account for the survival or death of eastern box turtles when infected with ranavirus?
• What can the calculation of effective population sizes in long-lived herpetofaunal species tell us about species conservation?

Recent Publications

*undergraduate student mentee; **graduate student mentee

Brown*, LS, Z Gaba*, E Allard*, L Caccamese*, J Bertrand*, RC Walbrook*, T Stern*, L Pozas*, SJA Kimble. ANAXYRUS AMERICANUS (American toad) Albinism. Herpetological Review. 54(4):624-625.

Carlson, B, SE Carter, AC Hulbert, NL Hyslop, EAF Kashon, SJA Kimble, J Lisk, C McElroy, JL Mook, JM Refsnider, JH Roe, SJ Tetzlaff, B Wingmiller. 2024. Intrapopulation variation in boldness differs while average boldness is similar across populations of a widespread turtle. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 78:64.

Miranda, R, C Warren, K McDougal, S Kimble, J Sanchez, L Norman L, V Anderson, M Hemm. 2023. Identifying new small proteins through a molecular biology course-based undergraduate research experience laboratory class. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education. 2023:1-12.

SJA Kimble, SD Unger, RN Williams. 2022. Genetically derived effective population size estimates of herpetofaunal species should be used with caution. Journal of Wildlife management. 2022:e22340.

Kean*, CM, SJA Kimble. 2021. Lithobates sylvaticus (Wood Frog) and Ambystoma maculatum (Spotted Salamander). Possibly fatal interspecific amplexus. Herpetological Review. 52(3):615-616. 

Wuerthner, VP, SJA Kimble, ZH Olson, NG Burgmeier, RN Williams. 2021. High gene flow in Eastern Red-Backed Salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) from forests in south-central Indiana. Journal of North American Herpetology. 2021(2):1-7. 

SJA Kimble, BS Dorr, KC Hanson-Dorr, OE Rhodes Jr, TL DeVault. 2020. Migratory Flyways May Affect Population Structure in Double-Crested Cormorants. Journal of Wildlife Management.

Hernandez-Gomez**, O, SJA Kimble, J Hua, VP Wuerthner, DK Jones, BM Mattes, RD Cothran, RA Relyea, G Meindl, JT Hoverman. 2019. Local adaptation of the MHC class IIβ gene in populations of wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) correlates with proximity to agriculture. Infection, Genetics and Evolution. 73:197-204.

Willoughby, JR, M Sundaram, B Wijayawardena, MC Lamb,  SJA Kimble, Y Ji, NB Fernandez, JD Antonides, NJ Marra and JA DeWoody. 2017. Biome and migratory behaviour significantly influence vertebrate genetic diversity. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 121(2):446-457.

Kimble SJA, AJ Johnson, RN Williams and JT Hoverman. 2017. A severe Ranavirus outbreak in captive, wild-caught box turtles. EcoHealth. 14(4):810-815.

Hernandez-Gomez, O**, SJA Kimble, JT Briggler, RN Williams. 2016. Characterization of the cutaneous bacterial communities of two giant salamander subspecies. Microbial Ecology. 74(3):445-454.

Winzeler ME*, RN Williams, SJA Kimble. 2016. Determining the prevalence of ranavirus in green frogs across Indiana. Journal of North American Herpetology. 2016(1):23-26.

Kimble SJA, RN Williams, JT Hoverman. 2015. Ranavirus detected in Lithobates clamitans and catesbeianus in Indiana. Herpetological Review. 46(4):532-534.

Willoughby JR, M Sundaram, B Wijayawardena, SJA Kimble, Y Ji, NB Fernandez, JD Antonides, MC Lamb, NJ Marra, JA DeWoody. 2015. The reduction of genetic diversity in threatened vertebrates and new recommendations regarding effective population size and IUCN conservation rankings. Biological Conservation. 191:495-503.

Kimble SJA, AK Karna**, AJ Johnson, JT Hoverman, RN Williams. 2015. Mosquitoes as a potential vector of ranavirus transmission in terrestrial turtles. EcoHealth. DOI: 12:334-338.

LaGrange SM*, SJA Kimble, BJ MacGowan, RN Williams. 2014. Seasonal variance in hematology and blood plasma chemistry values of the timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus). Journal of Wildlife Diseases. DOI: 10.7589/2013-10-267.

Kimble SJA, OE Rhodes Jr, RN Williams. 2014. Relatedness and other finescale population genetic analyses in the threatened eastern box turtle (Terrapene c. carolina) suggest unexpectedly high vagility with important conservation implications. Conservation Genetics. 15:967-979.

Kimble SJA, OE Rhodes Jr, RN Williams. 2014. Unexpectedly low rangewide population genetic structure of the imperiled eastern box turtle Terrapene c. carolina. PLOS ONE. 9:e92274.

Courses Taught

BIOL206/206L Introduction to Ecology and Evolution
BIOL309 Genetics
BIOL405 Molecular Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
BIOL410 Molecular Biology Laboratory
BIOL 467/567 Herpetology
BIOL474 Molecular Techniques in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation