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Departmental
Research Projects |
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Brent Burt, Ph.D., Univ. Arizona. Dr. Burt's research interests include avian systematics, behavioral ecology, and evolutionary theory. His primary research focus is the ecology and evolution of cooperative breeding in birds. Michael Collyer, Ph.D., North Dakota State University. Dr. Collyer's research is both empirical and theoretical. His empirical research is concerned with understanding the ecological factors that promote and maintain phenotypic diversity. Much of this research emphasis focuses on aquatic organisms, especially threatened or endangered vertebrates, such as pupfishes in North American deserts. Dr. Collyer’s theoretical research involves developing quantitative methods for analyzing complex phenotypic change. Dennis Gravatt. Ph.D. Univ. Kansas.
Dr. Gravatt uses his understanding of plant physiology to elucidate
the mechanisms of plant responses to different growth limiting factors.
He is particularly interested in the environmental and biochemical
limitations on photosynthetic capacity in stressful environments. Matthew Kwiatkowski, Ph.D.,
Arizona State University. Dr. Kwiatkowski’s research focuses
on two main areas of reptile and amphibian evolutionary ecology. The
first focus is on the spatial ecology of reptiles and amphibians in
both natural and fragmented habitats, including urbanized areas. This
includes analysis of movements, home range size, and habitat use, often
utilizing GIS techniques. Molecular tools such as DNA microsatellites
are also used to investigate gene flow and genetic structure among
fragmented populations. The second component of Dr. Kwiatkowski’s
research investigates mating behavior and how environmental variables
influence sexual selection. Much of Dr. Kwiatkowski’s research
is strongly linked to the conservation of reptiles and amphibians. Kevin Langford, Ph.D., Medical
College of Wisconsin. Dr. Langford's research interests include using
molecular approaches and multiple model systems to better understand
the mechanisms involved in the regulation of cell behavior due to extracellular
matrix components and their cooperative cell surface receptors. Tissue
and cell culture work with chick embryo cardiac material as well as
genetic manipulation of C. elegans embryos are being used to address
these interesting and complex questions. Don Pratt, Ph.D., Ph.D., Iowa State
University. Dr. Pratt’s primary research is in plant systematics
(evolutionary history and taxonomy), with an emphasis in the important
weedy genus Amaranthus, as well as the closely related Chenopodiaceae
and Amaranthaceae plant families. Dr. Pratt’s current research
emphasizes 1) the recovery of evolutionary histories (phylogenies)
using molecular markers; and 2) using well-developed molecular based
phylogenies to better understand the evolution of morphological characters.
Examples include: the evolution of breeding systems in Amaranthus,
the distinctive bract structures of the Amaranthaceae, and the dispersal
units of the Amaranthaceae and Chenopodiaceae. Dr. Pratt’s research
includes both lab (DNA sequencing, molecular markers, and herbarium
study) and field (plant collection) aspects. Robert Stewart, Ph.D., Univ. California, Davis. Dr. Stewart works with a variety of pathogenic viruses, bacteria, and parasites investigating mechanisms of pathogenicity. He is especially interested in the development of rapid clinical diagnostic methods.
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