Biology
Faculty and Student Research
Graduate Student Research
Graduate Student Research
Undergraduate Student Research
Undergraduate Student Research
Faculty Research in Biology
Eric Birgbauer, Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- Research Interests: Development of the visual system; molecular mechanisms of retinal
axon guidance abstract (pdf - 32.3KB)
- Dr. Birgbauer's website
Salvatore Blair, Ph.D. University of Alberta
- Research Interests: Fish physiology; Conservation physiology; Investigating the cellular
mechanisms governing fish osmoregulation, ion-regulation, and thermoregulation while
living in dynamic and anthropogenically influenced aquatic environments.
Dwight Dimaculangan, Ph.D. University of South Carolina
- Research Interests: Impact of academic strengthening programs on student retention
and success (204E project). Previous research - Tissue culture models of heart disease; Citoplasmic Male Sterility
in wild-type tomatoes.
Victoria Frost, Ph.D. St. Bartholomew's Hospital, University of London, England
- Research Interests: Bacterial diversity and evolution in aquatic ecosystems, Bacteriophage
genomics and evolution - SEA-PHAGES/SEA-GENES.
Laura Glasscock, Ph.D. University of. North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- Research Interests: Focuses on the role of proteases and their receptors in prostate
cancer progression. She is specifically interested in how these proteins regulate
the ability of prostate tumor cells to invade and metastasize and how they regulate
the process of angiogenesis.
Kunsiri Grubbs, Ph.D. University of Tennessee
- Research Interests: Conservation of an endangered sunflower species (Schweinitz's
sunflower) that endemic to the Piedmont region. Her research work also includes the
study of higher plant systematics with a focus on a genus Eupatorium, a member of
the sunflower family (Asteraceae).
Courtney Guenther, Ph.D. University of Wisconsin, Madison
- Research interests: effective pedagogical strategies in STEM education; experiential
learning; examining the neuroscience and physiology surrounding mindfulness practices
in college students.
Kathryn Kohl, Ph.D. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- Research Interests:Various aspects of meiotic and mitotic recombination using both
transmission genetics and molecular genetics in the model system drosophila melanogaster
(the fruit fly). This basic research has implications for human health since DNA
repair is crucial to maintaining genome stability and aberrant meiotic crossing over
can result in gametes (sperm or eggs) with an improper chromosome complement (aneuploidy).
Kiyoshi Sasaki, Ph.D. Oklahoma State University
- Research Interests: Conservation Biology, Dendroecology, Behavioral Ecology, Evolutionary
Ecology, and Herpetology.
Jenny Schafer, Ph.D. University of Florida
- Research Interests: Plant Ecology and Fire Ecology.
Julian Smith, III, Ph.D. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- Research Interests: Systematics and evolution of free-living flatworms; biology of
marine meiofauna. abstract (pdf - 44.5KB)
- Dr. Smith's website.
Matthew Stern, Ph.D. University of Iowa School of Medicine
- Research Interests: Cell biology, stem cells, biomaterials, tissue engineering and
regenerative medicine, three-dimensional cell culture systems, and Bioprinting. abstract (pdf - 64.4KB)
Daniel Stovall, Ph.D. Wake Forest University
- Research Interests: Contribution of abnormal epigenetic mechanisms to disease progression
in breast and prostate cancers and glioblastoma. Specific interests include chromatin
remodeling enzymes, transcription factors, and noncoding RNAs.
Kristi M. Westover, Ph.D. Washington State University
- Research Interests: Evolution of biomedically important viruses such as Hepatitis
B, HIV, and Influenza A. abstract (pdf - 27.3KB)
Elizabeth King Endowment
The R. Morrison & Miriam D. King Endowment was established by Dr. Elizabeth N. King
in honor of her parents in November of 2001. This endowment offers faculty members
further opportunities for research and development.
King Endowment (pdf - 132KB).
