Research Opportunities

Research in Biology

By working with a biology faculty member, students immerse themselves in real scientific investigation, learning to solve problems, think critically and approach data with a researcher’s mindset. Whether you’re a graduate or undergraduate student, the first step to getting involved in research is finding a research mentor. Use the table below to find your research and faculty actively recruiting: 

Faculty	Research Area	Actively Recruiting Undergrads?	Actively Recruiting grads?
Dr. Nicole Barbour	Movement ecology, wildlife science, animal behavior, spatial ecology	Yes	No
Dr. Vanessa Beauchamp	Plant ecology, forest succession, stream restoration, invasive plants	No	No
Dr. Alice Besterman	Coastal ecology, avian ecology, wetlands, restoration	No	No
Dr. Mark Bulmer	Social insect and pathogens	Yes	Yes
Dr. Daniel Caetano	Phylogenetics, macroevolution, phylogenetic comparative methods	No	No
Dr. Renee Dickie	Regeneration, wound healing, angiogenesis	No	No
Dr. Jacqueline Doyle	Conservation genomics	No	No
Dr. Elana Ehrlich	Virology, cell biology, cancer biology, host-pathogen interactions	No	No
Dr. Anne Estes	Host-microbe interactions, bacterial genomics	No	No
Dr. Carmen Falcone	Neurobiology, glial biology, evolutionary developmental neuroscience	Yes	Yes
Dr. Brian Fath	Ecosystem ecology, network analysis, sustainability and resilience	Yes	Yes
Dr. Laura Gough	Plant ecology, mentoring	No	No
Dr. Sarah Haines	Science and environmental education	Yes	Yes
Dr. Erin Harberts	Immunology, host-pathogen interactions	No	Yes
Dr. Matthew Hemm	Molecular biology of small proteins in bacteria	Yes	No
Dr. Iskander Ibrahim	Molecular mechanisms of photosynthesis and plant responses to abiotic stress	Yes	Yes
Dr. Steve Kimble	Conservation genetics, herpetology, microbiomes	Yes	Yes
Dr. Krista Kraskura	Fish physiology, animal physiology and conservation physiology	No	No
Dr. John LaPolla	Ant systematics, ant-mealybug symbiosis, ant taxonomy and paleontology	Yes	Yes
Dr. Sarah Longo	Functional morphology, evolution and biomechanics	No	No
Dr. Christopher Oufiero	Evolutionary physiology, functional morphology	Yes	Yes
Dr. Katherine Sayers	Neuropharmacology	No	No
Dr. Vonnie Shields	Chemosensory and visual biology	Yes	Yes
Dr. Kishana Taylor	Virology, infectious diseases	Yes	Yes
Dr. Peko Tsuji	Colon cancer and inflammation	Yes	Yes
Dr. Crysal Uminski	Biology education	Yes	Yes
Dr. John Wedon	Molecular biology and biochemistry, protein engineering	Yes	Yes

Graduate students have two tracks for their degree requirements:

• Thesis Track
• Non-thesis Track

Thesis students must select a mentor before they apply for the biology program, so be sure to research potential mentors long before the application deadline. See the biology graduate page for more details. Non-thesis students do not have a research requirement yet many non-thesis students engage in research.

Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience

In addition to directly working in a mentor’s lab, students can gain research experience through coursework. Specifically, CURE (course based undergraduate research experience) courses can be a way to earn both credit toward your degree and be involved in authentic research. For details visit:

• TU Research Enhancement Program

Scholarships, Grants and Awards

Student research activities are often supported by scholarships, grants and awards. Not only can applying for these help fund student research efforts, but the application process itself can help build skills in how scientists go about procuring funds to conduct research. There are a number of funding opportunities available within the department.