I have extremely broad interests spanning most of biology. I began my research career
with an undergraduate project investigating sex determination in Drosophila. Before
starting graduate school, I studied the neuropharmacology of psychoactive drugs at
the Oregon Health Sciences University. My Ph.D. project focused on evolution and population
genetics in social insects and my postdoctoral training in Lausanne Switzerland centered
on the molecular basis of the extra-ordinary life spans of social insects. After that
I was off to Southampton England where I taught statistics, evolution and animal behavior
while working on a novel superoxide dismutase that I discovered in insects.
While in the UK, I also worked on aging in bumble bees and the trade-offs of immunity,
lifespan and neurodegenerative diseases. I currently have an undergraduate fly/social
insect lab here in Plattsburgh for both continuing my research on these topics, and
to use for teaching Genetics (BIO 305), Biology of Aging (BIO 339) and Cell Biology
(BIO 401). Along the way I discovered a fascination with teaching and am actively
working on ways to improve and contribute to teaching methodology.
