The Integrative Biology Department has relationships with many government

and prestigious Biological agencies. USF Integrative Biology Department’s

research partners include:

G E T T I N G I N V O LV E D I N UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

Major Research Areas in The Department of Integrative Biology

CONSERVATION BIOLOGY BIOMECHANICS

GLOBAL CHANGE DISEASE BIOLOGY

FRESHWATER BIOLOGY BIOGEOCHEMISTRY

MARINE BIOLOGY EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY

Department of Integrative Biology 4202 East Fowler Avenue SCA 110 Tampa, FL 33620-5200

(813) 974-6210 | http://biology.usf.edu/ib/

Undergraduate Research is a great way to get hands on experience in what

you are studying and learning in your courses. It is also a great way to boost

your resume, application to graduate school or health professional school.

How do I get into Undergraduate Research?

To get involved you can either do it simply for the experience, because you

enjoy conducting research, or to gain credit for your Biology Major

requirements. As a Biology Major you can count up to 4 credit hours of

undergraduate research with a Biology Faculty member on the USF Tampa

campus towards your Biology major elective hour’s requirement for your

degree.

If you would like to volunteer then simply get in contact with one of the faculty

members in this brochure, that are currently researching something that

interests you, and ask them if they would be willing to have you volunteer in

their labs. Explain to them why you wish to volunteer with them.

Requirements

If you wish to earn majors credit for the research, there are a few requirements

you will need to meet in order to be granted permission to earn credit. The

requirements are as follows:

have a 3.0 USF GPA

have a 3.0 Biology Majors GPA

have completed at least 60 credit hours

If you have met all of these requirements then you will need to complete an

undergraduate research contract, have a Biology Academic Advisor sign off

that you are eligible to receive credit, then find a Biology faculty member that is

willing to give you credit.

Department of Integrative Biology faculty members are currently conducting a

multitude of research projects involving many different facets in the Biological

field. Students have the opportunity to work alongside our faculty and receive

hands on experience. In fact, some of our undergraduate students have been

authors on articles that are published in prestigious science journals in

conjunction with the research they participated in. Here is a listing of the

Department of Integrative Biology faculty members’ current research interests.

Analyzing water quality on Gulf of Mexico beaches

Collecting salt marsh plants on Grand Isle, Louisiana after the

Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Lynn B. "Marty" Martin Ecology, Physiology, Disease Biology lbmartin@usf.edu

The Martin lab at USF IB seeks to understand how wild animals cope with stress in their natural environments.

Predominantly, we work on songbirds, asking whether and how introduced species have adjusted their immune and endocrine systems to colonize new areas. We are also asking how native species cope with parasites in habitats where climate, food availability and other conditions fluctuate much more than the lab-oratory conditions in which most immunological research has been conducted.

Kathleen (K.T.) Scott Evolution, Genetics, Microbiology, Biogeochemistry, Marine Biology kmscott@usf.edu

The Scott lab studies carbon fixation by marine micro-

organisms, including algae and deep-sea hydrothermal vent bacteria. We're curious to know how they take up carbon dioxide and bicarbonate from their environments, and what sort of adaptations they have to changes in the availabilities of these chemicals. We use a variety of techniques, including genetic engineering, microarray transcriptomics, gen-omics, electron microscopy, mass spectrometry, cell cultivation, and the occasional field trip to the open ocean.

Marc Lajeunesse Ecology, Disease Biology lajeunesse@usf.edu

The goal of Marc Lajeunesse’s research is to understand the natural diversity of parasites and herbivores, with a particular focus on (1) the development of statistics for synthesizing

published research and evaluating sources of bias; and (2) providing rigorous syntheses of key ecological and evolutionary principles relating to this diversity of parasites and herbivores. To achieve this goal, I use a broad variety of techniques that include: meta-analysis, comparative phylogenetic methods, field and selection experiments, and mathematical modeling.

Our Faculty

Peter Stiling Ecology, Global Change pstiling@usf.edu

The Stiling lab is interested in a

wide variety of ecological questions

from invasive plants and insects to

the influence of global change on coastal communi-

ties and the effects of elevated CO2 on forest

ecosystems. Recent students have examined the effects of the invasive cactus

moth on native cacti and the control of invasive fruit trees by newly invaded

insects. Past students have worked on a variety of questions, including the

effects of key deer on native vegetation.

Earl McCoy Ecology, Conservation Biology, Global Change

earlmccoy@usf.edu

Earl McCoy's research interests include conservation ecology,

disturbance ecology, bio-geographical theory, and the

philosophical basis of ecology. His recent work has focused on

the conservation and restoration of severely threatened sand hill and Florida

scrub habitats; the population biology and genetics of two threatened tortoises,

the gopher tortoise and the desert tortoise, and two species of threatened

lizards, the Florida Sand Skink and Florida Scrub Lizard; and introductions of

biological control agents.

Stephen Deban Evolution, Physiology, Biomechanics sdeban@usf.edu The Deban lab focuses on under-

standing the biomechanical and

physiological mechanisms of animal movement. We

are interested in how these mechanisms change

through evolution to enable the highly athletic

behaviors of many reptiles and amphibians, such as

the spectacular ballistic tongue projection of

chameleons and frogs. Using high-speed imaging and manipulations of body

temperature, we are exploring how the “bow and arrow” mechanism of tongue

projection can operate even when the animals are cold.

Restoring endangered species of cactus in the Florida Keys.

Sampling a stream in Hillsborough County to determine bacterial levels

Valerie (Jody) Harwood Ecology, Microbiology, Disease Biology, Freshwater Biology vharwood@usf.edu

Valerie J. Harwood leads an environmental microbiology laboratory with research focusing on the intersection of

microbial ecology and public health microbiology. One focus of her research is using genes from microorganisms that are specific to a particular host to identify the source(s) of fecal pollution in environmental waters. Another focus is the ecology and virulence potential of Vibrio vulnificus, a human pathogen that is ubiquitous in Gulf of Mexico waters and transmitted to humans via wounds and consumption of raw shellfish.

Henry Muskinsky Ecology, Conservation Biology mushinsk@usf.edu

Henry Mushinsky studies rare species of reptiles, including the Gopher Tortoise, the only tortoise species east of the

Mississippi River. Current research involves the translocation of individuals to a working ranch, to determine if ranches can provide refuges for the Gopher Tortoise. Research also focuses on the Florida Sand Skink, which spends its life buried in the fine sands along the ancient ridges of central Florida. Both species present a number of unique challenges for study.

David B. Lewis Ecology, Biogeochemistry davidlewis@usf.edu

David Lewis’ lab investigates pattern and process in ecosystems, from distinct landscape elements to the regional

matrix in which they are set. Researchers in the lab focus on soil and water element cycles (mainly carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus), and how they are related to ecological communities, land use, and hydrology. At present, the lab is investigating intermittently flooded freshwater wetlands and intertidal coastal systems, habitats that highlight the dynamic land-water interface.

Thomas Crisman Ecology, Freshwater Biology tcrisman@usf.edu

Thomas L. Crisman is a fresh water ecologist specializing on the ecology, conservation, management and restoration of lakes, streams and wetlands of the subtropics and tropics

globally. His research has been conducted in Central and South America, the Caribbean basin, Mediterranean basin and Africa. Currently, he is addressing water management questions of the Middle East and Central Asia and urbanization impacts in Florida.

Recording levels of parasite infection in the laboratory

Monitoring changing coastal environments at Sapelo Island, Georgia

Phillip Motta

Evolution, Biomechanics, Marine Biology motta@usf.edu

Philip Motta's principal research

interests are in functional and

ecological morphology of feeding

in bony fishes and elasmobranchs (sharks, skates, and

rays), as well as the evolution of functional adaptations

for feeding. Recent research has focused on the

comparative functional morphology of the feeding

mechanisms; the relationships between functional morphology, feeding

behavior, and the evolution of feeding mechanisms; whale shark feeding

behavior; and the relationship of scale structure to swimming mobility of Mako

sharks.

Sidney K. (Skip) Pierce Evolution, Physiology pierce@usf.edu

Sidney Pierce's lab is investigating the molecular biology of

an intracellular symbiosis between the digestive cells of a sea

slug (Elysiabchlorotica) and algal (Vaucheria litorea) chloro-

plasts. The plastids, once

incorporated into the molluscan cell, continue to

photosynthesize and provide sufficient energy to

sustain the slug in the absence of any additional

food. Continuing research also examines the

biochemical and molecular mechanisms regulating

cell volume recovery from osmotic stress, particularly

salinity tolerance mechanisms of marine organisms.

Gordon A. Fox Ecology, Conservation Biology gfox@usf.edu

Gordon Fox studies growth and decline of populations –

especially of plants – and applications to conservation,

invasive species, and evolution. Some current research

includes: regrowth of pine populations following fire; spread of

invasive plant species; interactions between plant populations living in the

same habitat; evolution of reproductive timing. These research projects involve

a mix of field study and modeling.

Christina L. Richards Evolution, Genetics, Marine Biology clr@usf.edu

Christina Richards' research uses genomics and ecology experiments to understand how plants respond to global change. Current and future research in her laboratory

include studies of: 1) coastal salt marsh plants to address gene expression in response to ecological factors and climate change; 2) how epigenetic effects contribute to phenotypic variation and ecological breadth in native and invasive plants; 3) phenotypic plasticity in natural and agricultural systems in changing environ-ments.

Jason R. Rohr Ecology, Disease Biology, Global Change rohr@usf.edu

Jason Rohr’s research interests are in disease ecology, ecotoxicology, climate change biology, conservation biology and interactions among these disciplines. His research runs the gamut from human disease ecology to amphibian

declines to fundamental and applied population, community, and ecosystem ecology. He has published in the world’s premier general science journals, including Nature and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, and regularly trains and publishes with undergraduate research assistants.

Susan Bell Ecology, Marine Biology sbell@usf.edu

Susan Bell’s research focuses on topics in marine ecology, especially landscape ecology of marine systems, restoration

ecology and marine conservation. Many of her ongoing studies target questions related to ecosystem response to changing marine habitats. Her work focuses on seagrass habitats, mangroves, salt marshes, and sandy beaches. She collaborates with other researchers to work on issues linking urban ecology, watersheds, and human dimensions.

Measuring, tagging and releasing sharks in the Gulf of Mexico

Collecting aquatic salamanders in southern Florida