Department of Biology

The evolutionary origins, function, and mechanisms of adult neurogenesis

Regulation of neural stem cell proliferation

The role of glial-glial interactions during nervous system devleopment, disease and regeneration

Plant stress, both physiological mechanisms and ecological implications

Population genetics and molecular evolution

Mechanisms of genetic and metabolic adaptation in the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum

The cell biological foundations of development

Behavior and neurobiology of electric fishes

Non-visual effects of light on physiology and behavior

Genetics of embryonic eye development

Cilia, Human disease modeling, Quantitative cell biology, Organelle biology, Cell architecture

Tissue regeneration and developmental homeostasis

Mechanisms regulating polarized cell growth

Retinal Development and Disease

Ecological and evolutionary genetics

Areas of Research: Molecular Genetics, Ecology & Evolution

Schield Lab will study the evolutionary genomics and population genetics of speciation and adaptation.

Mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease

Mouse Visual System

Life history evolution and ecology

Ecological and evolutionary genetics of plants

Signal processing by the central nervous system

Sexual conflict, life-history evolution, physiological and behavioral ecology

Mechanisms of neural development and disease

Developmental genetics, regeneration, evolution

The neurobiology of appetite, digestion, and metabolism

The interaction between plants and microbes

Endosomal function and dysfunction in neurons. Wiring the nervous system in development.

Evolutionary Ecology, Plant Ecology

Neurotransmitters and behavior in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster

Neuronal function and behavior in flies

Evolutionary genetics and behavioral ecology

Evolution and ecology of host-parasite interactions

Regeneration, development, and gene regulatory networks

Genetics of obesity, diabetes, and aging

Microbial evolution, ecology and genomics

Cell adhesion and mechanotransduction in vertebrate morphogenesis

Evolution of infectious disease