I direct student-based research that examines the anatomy of vertebrates focusing on the functional anatomy of vision. Students in my laboratory investigate the functional anatomical mapping of the turtle retina to address how the vertebrate retina processes color and motion. In addition to the functional morphology of the turtle retina, other brain areas are examined to investigate reflexive eye movements: the pupillary response to light and the response to rapidly approaching targets. Student projects also examine the control of eye movements for tracking targets moving in depth.

John O. Drummond, B.S., General Biology Laboratory Coordinator, at Lafayette since 2004. I coordinate and teach all sections of General Biology 101 and 102 Laboratory.

Currently my research is focused on monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus. I am investigating differences in morphology of captive-raised and wild monarchs. Ultimately I am interested in whether those differences impact migration. I am also interested in developing protocols for teachers who are raising monarchs in their classrooms. I want to help them to produce monarchs that are most likely to survive when released.

Bernard Fried, Ph.D., Kreider Professor Emeritus of Biology, at Lafayette since 1963. Although now retired, I will continue to direct student research projects.

Student research in my lab is focused on parasitology, in particular the biology of trematodes, a group of parasitic flatworms. Trematodes are relatively simple organisms which have evolved a bilateral body plan and organ systems analogous to those found in humans. Therefore, trematodes provide unique material to study the functional morphology of organ systems that are relatively similar to our own. Moreover, some trematodes cause major worm diseases in man, domestic animals and wildlife and merit study so that we can better understand how to control parasitic diseases.

Charles W. Holliday, Ph.D., Professor, at Lafayette since 1982. I teach General Biology, Invertebrate Zoology, Human Physiology, Marine Biology and Comparative Animal Physiology. Holliday's www page.

Research in my lab has been focused on the special problems of salt and water balance experienced by marine, estuarine and fresh water invertebrates, particularly crustaceans. Estuarine and freshwater crustaceans use special cells in their gills and kidneys to transport salt back into their blood to replace salts lost in the urine and by diffusion across the body surface. Although I am shifting my research interest to the project noted below, it is still possible to join me in investigating the relationships between the activity of the enzyme which powers the cellular sodium pump (sodium, potassium-ATPase) and inward ion transport in the gills and kidneys of crustaceans. A new area of study in my lab is the physiological ecology of a campus population of cicada-killer wasps. At present these studies are limited to the summer season, when the wasps are available.

Robert A. Kurt, Ph.D., Associate Professor, at Lafayette since 2000. I teach General Biology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases.

Research in my laboratory is focused on investigating the immune response to cancer. Currently there are three areas of interest. The first area under investigation explores tumor-induced immune suppression. Another area of interest is focused on the interaction between the innate (nonspecific) and adaptive (specific) anti-tumor immune response. The final area of interest is immunological tolerance to self-tumor antigens.

Wayne S. Leibel, Ph.D., Kreider Professor of Biology and Head of the Department, at Lafayette since 1983. I teach General Biology, Evolutionary Biology, Evolutionary Genetics and Behavioral Genetics.

Student research in my lab is focused primarily on mate choice and parental behavior in tropical freshwater cichlid fish from South and Central America. We are currently studying the evolution of sexual dimorphism and sexual dichromatism (sexual selection) as it impacts mate choice in species of the genus Cryptoheros by videographic behavioral analysis of their social interactions in large colonies (mate choice and territoriality) and in controlled 'multiple-choice' single fish experiments.

Shyamal K. Majumdar, Ph.D., Kreider Professor Emeritus of Biology, at Lafayette since 1969. Although now retired, I will continue to teach Tissue Culture and Virology (Interim Session) and to mentor research students.

My scientific inquiries focus on two areas. The first area involves the mutagenicity and toxicity testing of various antitumor drugs, both in mice and on cells growing in culture. Human and mouse cells are cultured in vitro and the effects of various chemicals on their growth rates and genotoxicity are assessed.

The second area of studies includes cell biology. Biochemical studies such as protein kinases and caspases activities, nucleosomal assay, ELISA, immunofluorescence techniques, etc., are utilized to determine the cell death mechanism (apoptosis or necrosis) induced by chemotherapeutic and chemopreventive drugs on cancer and non-cancer mouse and human cells. Immunofluorescence techniques are employed to study microtubule organization and disturbances in cancerous and non-cancerous cells exposed to anticancer drugs.

Manuel D. Ospina-Giraldo, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, at Lafayette since 2006. I teach General and Molecular Genetics, Plant Pathology, Mycology, and Plant-Microbe Molecular Interactions. I am a member of the Oomycete Molecular Genetics Research Collaboration Network that recently sequenced and annotated the genomes of two important plant pathogens, Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora sojae.

Research in my laboratory focuses on the study of pathogenicity-related genes in fungal and oomycete pathogens that cause disease in life-sustaining agricultural crops, the plant genes involved in the defense mechanisms, and the genetic diversity of specific plant pathogens currently found in Pennsylvania.

Elaine R. Reynolds, Ph.D., Associate Professor, at Lafayette since 1997. I teach General Biology, Developmental Biology, Neurobiology and Senior Seminar in Developmental Biology.

Research in my lab centers on problems in the development and function of the nervous system. First we are interested in how the nervous system is formed and how neurons develop their particular electrical properties and connections. Second, we are interested in how these neurons communicate with their target cells and the molecules involved in this process. We use the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a model system for understanding neural function at its many levels of complexity. Drosophila is a very well studied and widely used organism so our studies can utilize information gathered and tools developed by many other investigators.

Nancy McCreary Waters, Ph.D., Associate Professor, at Lafayette since 1985. I teach Ecology, Limnology, Environmental Biology, General Biology 102 and a VaST course in Reproductive Technology.

Students interested in ecological research in my laboratory may choose among several projects examining either population/community-level phenomena or physiological adaptations to environmental changes in freshwater ecosystems. These studies employ field, laboratory and analytical approaches.

Peter A. Zani, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor, at Lafayette since 2007. I teach General Biology, Conservation Biology, Integrative Biology, Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Environmental Biology.

I conduct research in integrative biology, both in the field and in the laboratory. My research focuses on the interactions of ectotherms (primarily lizards and mosquitoes) with their environment. The interactions that I study range from the immediate, such as how organisms move around in their environment (locomotion), to the long-term, such as how organisms time their reproduction to match the most favorable season. A major goal of my research is to use field experiments to test hypotheses generated by laboratory research.

Support Staff

L. Phillip Auerbach, Academic Technician, at Lafayette since 1977.

Paulette McKenna, Departmental Secretary, at Lafayette since 1976.

Back to Degrees Offered Page