The Faculty in the TCNJ Biology Department are amazing, accomplished Teacher-Scholars, who not only teach in our classrooms and labs, but are also engaged in research, most often with student collaborators. Here is information on what research our faculty are engaged in, and what tools and techniques are employed in their labs.
Professor Luke Butler, PhD
Research Interests
Ecophysiology of birds, with a focus on seasonal and annual cycles
Effects of natural and human-caused disturbances on wild birds
Tools and Techniques Used
Field work
Lab work
Behavioral analysis
Professor Wendy Clement, PhD
Research Interests
Evolution of plant diversity using phylogenomics
Evolution of fusion in honeysuckles
Plant-insect interactions among plants, pollinators, and their herbivores
Tools and Techniques Used
Lab work and microscopy
Genomics and bioinformatics (using the TCNJ high performance computing cluster)
Field work and studies of natural history specimens
Professor Gary Dickinson, PhD
Research Interests
Marine animal physiology
Structural biology and biomechanics
Biological responses to climate change
Tools and Techniques Used
Microscopy
Biomechanical testing
Larval biology
Professor Curt Elderkin, PhD
Research Interests
Tools and Techniques used
Professor KT Elliott, PhD
Research Interests
Bacterial genetics
Ribosomal RNA
Large mutations
Tools and Techniques used
Molecular biology
Microbiology
Professor Jeffery Erickson, PhD
Research Interests
Maturation of cardiorespiratory control in neonatal animals
Role of serotonin in cardiorespiratory maturation
Serotonin-deficient animal models for SIDS
Tools and Techniques used
Whole-animal measurement of breathing and heart rate
Electrophysiological measurement of neural circuits
Immunohistochemistry
Professor Tracy Kress, PhD
Research Interests
Regulation of gene expression using bakers yeast as a model organism
Coupling between transcription and RNA processing
Functions for prion-like proteins in regulating RNA splicing
Tools and Techniques used
Cell and Molecular Biology
Biochemistry
Genetics
Professor Donald Lovett, PhD
Research Interests
Osmoregulation in crabs
Gene expression
Physiology
Tools and Techniques used
Gene expression
Molecular biology
Professor Sudhir Nayak, PhD
Research Interests
Genetics
Genomics
Bioinformatics
Tools and Techniques used
Genetics
Molecular biology
Bioinformatics
Professor Marcia O’Connell, PhD
Research Interests
Embryogenesis in zebrafish
Maternal control of early development
Translational control of development
Tools and Techniques used
Embryo manipulation and microinjection
Molecular biology
Professor Keith Pecor, PhD
Research Interests
Ecology
Behavior
Tools and Techniques used
Fieldwork
Lab work
Surveys
Professor Nina Peel, PhD
Research Interests
Regulation of microtubules by the post-translational modification glutamylation
The redundancy of function among the five glutamylating TTLL enzymes
The functions of the deglutamylating enzyme CCPP-1 in non-neuronal cells
Tools and Techniques used
Genetics
Microscopy
Molecular biology
Professor Leeann Thornton, PhD
Research Interests
Plant responses to environmental stress, such as heat, drought, cold, and insect attack
Genetic regulation of enzymes that help plants acclimate to environmental stress
Understanding the biological mechanisms of plant stress so that we can predict what food crop varieties are more likely to do well in adverse climate conditions
Tools and Techniques used
Plant growth experiments, comparing normal plants to ones missing certain genes
DNA and RNA extraction and PCR to study gene regulation (molecular biology)
Protein structure and function (biochemistry and computational biology)
Professor Matthew Wund, PhD
Research Interests
Evolutionary ecology
Animal behavior
Tools and Techniques used
Animal behavior experiments
Morphological measurements