One of the opportunities available to students in Biology at Trinity is a direct involvement in independent research with a faculty member. Many students do research as seniors and in the summer before their senior year; others initiate research as early as their first or second year at Trinity.<\/p>\n
Students with interests in conducting research should talk to faculty members during the semester before initiation of the project; those who are seeking a paid position for the summer must arrange it with faculty in the preceding fall semester or early in the spring semester. If you are contemplating research, discuss it with the faculty member whose programs fit your interests; the research projects of the faculty are summarized below. Also keep in mind that some students engage in research programs in local hospital laboratories under the joint supervision of the Biology Department and the extramural laboratory. Please direct inquiries about these options to the Chair of Biology.<\/p>\n
Prof. Heather L. Bennett (LSC 336) – Genetics and Neurobiology of various hypoxic states in C. <\/em><\/strong>elegans<\/em><\/strong> Click on the email link below to contact Prof. Bennett if you are interested in pursuing research with him. Include the following information: Your name, Class year, cell phone number, your email, and please indicate 1) why you are interested in doing research with Prof. Bennett and 2) what you hope to gain from the research. Heather.Bennett@trincoll.edu<\/a><\/p>\n Prof. Kent Dunlap (LSC 245) – The Effect of Parasitism on Brain Cell Production in Trinidadian Killifish (Anablepsoides hartii<\/em>)<\/span><\/strong> Click on the email link below to contact Prof. Dunlap if you are interested in pursuing research with him. Include the following information: Your name, Class year, cell phone number, your email, and please indicate 1) why you are interested in doing research with Prof. Dunlap and 2) what you hope to gain from the research. Kent.Dunlap@trincoll.edu<\/a><\/p>\n Prof. Lisa-Anne Foster (LSC 236) – The Role of the Microbiome in Health and Disease<\/span><\/strong> My laboratory uses the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans<\/em>, a genetically tractable model organism, to investigate conserved innate immune pathways that are shared across diverse animal species. This model provides a powerful platform for studying host-microbe interactions at the molecular level while allowing us to examine how specific bacterial species influence immune signaling in a living organism.<\/p>\n Current projects focus on specific gut bacteria, and the molecular mechanisms by which they regulate the innate immune response. I am particularly interested in determining whether prior exposure to these commensal bacteria can alter the host\u2019s response to inflammatory stress by modulating the p38 MAPK signaling pathway, a highly conserved and central regulator of innate immunity. My lab employs fluorescent reporter strains of C. elegans<\/em> and molecular approaches to characterize bacterial colonization of the nematode as well as how specific bacteria influence immune activation during experimentally induced intestinal inflammation.<\/p>\n In addition to advancing our understanding of innate immunity, my work provides undergraduate students with opportunities to engage in authentic research while developing skills in molecular biology, microbiology, and experimental design.<\/p>\n Click on the email link below to contact Prof. Foster if you are interested in pursuing research with her. Include the following information: Your name, Class year, cell phone number, your email, and please indicate 1) why you are interested in doing research with Prof. Foster and 2) what you hope to gain from the research. LisaAnne.Foster@trincoll.edu<\/a><\/p>\n Prof. Claire Fournier (LSC 331) — Jumping Spider Behavior and Biology<\/strong> Click on the email link below to contact Prof. Fournier if you are interested in pursuing research with her. Include the following information: Your name, Class year, cell phone number, your email, and please indicate 1) why you are interested in doing research\u00a0 with Prof. Fournier and 2) what you hope to gain from the research. Claire.Fournier@trincoll.edu<\/a><\/p>\n Prof. Hebe Guardiola-Diaz (LSC 242) \u2013 Biochemistry of Oligodendrocyte Progenitors<\/b> Click on the email link below to contact Prof. Guardiola-Diaz if you are interested in pursuing research with her. Include the following information: Your name, Class year, cell phone number, your email, and please indicate 1) why you are interested in doing research with Prof. Guardiola-Diaz and 2) what you hope to gain from the research. \u00a0Hebe.GuardiolaDiaz@trincoll.edu<\/a><\/p>\n Prof. Rachel Keeffe (LSC 247) – Functional Morphology of Reptiles and Amphibians<\/span><\/strong> More information about my research can be found on my website: https:\/\/rmkeeffe.github.io\/<\/a><\/p>\n Click on the email link below to contact Prof. Keeffe if you are interested in pursuing research with him. Include the following information: Your name, Class year, cell phone number, your email, and please indicate 1) why you are interested in doing research\u00a0 with Prof. Keeffe and 2) what you hope to gain from the research. Rachel.Keeffe@trincoll.edu<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Prof. Ben Toscano (LSC 302) \u2013 The ecology of individuals: Effects on species interactions and community structure<\/strong>
\nOxygen is required to support all biological processes in most multicellular organisms. Hypoxic
\nand anoxic insult, inadequate or no supply of oxygen respectively, can cause cell damage and
\nlead to long-term health issues. When multi-cellular organisms encounter inadequate oxygen
\nconditions, they alter their overall physiology and reduce their overall activity, likely reducing
\nmetabolic (energy) demands. The genetic, molecular, and neural mechanisms underlying
\nresponses to hypoxic and anoxic conditions is not fully understood. We use Caenorhabditis<\/em>
\nelegans<\/em>, C. elegans<\/em>, to understand the molecular mechanisms, as well as the neural
\nunderpinnings required for C. elegans<\/em> to adapt to and survive hypoxic and anoxic environments.
\nMy research program takes an interdisciplinary approach, where I use genetics, molecular
\nbiology, and neurobiological techniques in our studies.
\nCurrently we have three active areas of research in the lab:<\/p>\n\n
\nresponses to hypoxic and anoxic conditions.<\/li>\n
\nresponses to hypoxia and anoxia.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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\nWe explore brain responses of Trinidadian killifish,\u00a0Anablepsoides hartii<\/i>, to parasitic infection by an intestinal nematode, examining effects on both host brain size and cell production. We examine fish from natural killifish populations in parallel streams in the Northern Range of Trinidad, comparing the brains of fish from infected vs. parasite-free streams.\u00a0 The parasite,\u00a0Camallanus cotti<\/i>, invaded some of these streams in 2016 and significantly impacted the populations. Infected killifish populations have lower survival rates and reproductive output compared with nearby uninfected populations. We assayed brains with immunomarkers for cell proliferation, focusing specifically on the forebrain and midbrain. We found that parasites are associated with reduced host brain size and rates of cell proliferation. These brain changes might underlie such behavioral changes in behavior like decreased exploratory behavior and foraging success. We are now exploring possible mechanisms, such as neuroinflammation, that might link parasitic infection and adverse brain alterations.<\/p>\n
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\nThe human gut microbiome is home to trillions of microorganisms that play an essential role in maintaining health and regulating the host immune response. Disruptions to this complex microbial community, a condition known as dysbiosis, have been associated with numerous diseases, including inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn\u2019s disease and ulcerative colitis. My research seeks to better understand how beneficial members of the gut microbiome communicate with the host immune system and how these interactions may be harnessed to promote intestinal health.<\/p>\n
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\nJumping spiders are charming, beautiful, and endlessly fascinating animals. My research interests center on their behavior and how it may be shaped by environmental factors, including microorganisms and insecticide exposure. This question is especially relevant given that wild jumping spiders frequently cohabitate with humans in buildings, and jumping spiders have also grown popular as pets \u2014 making an understanding of their behavioral relevant both scientifically and practically.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nOligodendrocytes are extraordinary cells that form myelin in the central nervous system. In order to produce myelin, oligodendrocyte progenitors proliferate and migrate in response to nutrients and growth factors such as fibroblast growth factors (FGFs). \u00a0FGFs control cellular biochemistry and metabolism (for example, production of myelin lipids and proteins) via distinct intracellular pathways such as\u00a0the AKT\/mTOR and Erk\/MAPK signaling.\u00a0 In my lab, we study these signaling mechanism to unlock the therapeutic potential of oligodendrocytes to form new myelin.<\/p>\n
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\nMy ongoing research involves examining the functional morphology and evolution of vertebrate animals, especially reptiles and amphibians. I leverage morphological, biomechanical, and comparative methods to understand broad patterns of evolution. Some of these methods include CT scanning, 3D modelling, X-ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology (XROMM), Finite Element Analysis (FEA), 3D geometric morphometrics, phylogenetic comparative methods (PCMs) and dissection. Here are several examples of recent and ongoing research in the Keeffe Lab:<\/p>\n\n
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\nResearch in the Toscano Lab challenges a core assumption of community ecology theory: that populations function as homogenous units in their interactions with one another and the abiotic environment. We study how individual-level phenotypic trait variation (e.g., behavior, body size, morphology), the raw material for natural selection, scales up via species interactions to influence population- and community-level dynamics. Our research uses mathematical theory to develop conceptual frameworks that guide lab and field experiments. We utilize model aquatic invertebrate systems (e.g., snails, dragonfly nymphs, stoneflies) that allow unique insight into the mechanistic basis of effects or permit scaling to higher organizational levels.<\/p>\n