Molecular Biology, Genetics, & Physiology (MBGP)
Training in the Molecular Biology, Genetics, and Physiology provides scientists with an understanding of biology that spans genomic influences to organismal phenotype. Techniques and knowledge in these areas serve as the groundwork for many disciplines that includes medical research, evolution, molecular genetics, functional genomics, and molecular physiology. A key goal of this group is that members and trainees focus on understanding the molecular and physiological aspects underlying interesting and important biological characteristics, which allows skill sets to be transferable between different research fields. Faculty in this group have collaborations with many research groups that include members of the UC College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, and multiple other institutions within and outside of UC.
Graduate Advisors for MS Thesis and PhD Program
* Indicates lab is accepting graduate applications for the upcoming Fall Semester
Joshua Benoit*
Lab Website
Email Address: benoitja@ucmail.uc.edu
Research interest: Insect stress tolerance, hormonal regulation of metabolism, reproductive physiology
The Benoit lab studies the mechanisms underlying insect stress tolerance and dormancy, reproductive physiology, and regulation of metabolism; with a slant towards medically-important arthropods.
Daniel Buchholz *
Email address: buchhodr@ucmail.uc.edu
Research interest: Evolution and development; hormonal control of development
The Buchholz lab studies the role of hormones in development and evolution. In particular the lab examines frog metamorphosis through comparative endocrinology
Elke Buschbeck*
Lab Website
Email address: buschbek@ucmail.uc.edu
Research interest: Neuroethology: function and evolution of insect visual systems
The Buschbeck lab studies the function, development and evolution of invertebrate eyes.
Miguel Chiurillo*
Email address: chiurima@ucmail.uc.edu
Research interest: Molecular Parasitology, Trypanosoma cruzi, genomic organization, protein kinases, cytokinesis, genome editing, CRISPR/Cas9. The Chiurillo Lab focuses on the use of state-of-the-art strategies of reverse genetics to identify and functionally characterize genes involved in essential processes in the life cycle of the human pathogen Trypanosoma cruzi.
Theresa Culley*
Lab Website
Email address: theresa.culley@uc.edu
Research interest: Population genetics of plants, invasive species; habitat fragmentation
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Ronald DeBry
Email address: debryrw@ucmail.uc.edu
Research interest: Phylogenetic systematics, molecular forensics
Kathleen Grogan*
Lab Website
Email address: groganke@ucmail.uc.edu
Research interest: Anthropological genetics, epigenomic response, environmental change. The Grogan lab studies how genetic and epigenetic variation impacts inter-individual differences in health, survival, and reproduction across environmental conditions.
Joshua Gross*
Lab Website
Email address: grossja@ucmail.uc.edu
Research interest: Molecular and genetic bases for cave adaptation; evolution and development
The Gross lab studies the genetic and developmental mechanisms that underlie morphological, sensory, physiological and behavioral evolution. We utilize a model system called the blind Mexican cavefish.
Bruce Jayne*
Lab Website
Email address: jaynebc@ucmail.uc.edu
Research interest: Neural control of movement and behavior of ectothermic vertebrates.
The Jayne lab uses comparative studies to determine the relative importance of variation in anatomy, behavior and environmental factors for affecting whole-animal function.
Noelia Lander*
Lab Website
Email address: landernm@ucmail.uc.edu
Research interest: Molecular Parasitology, trypanosomes, cell signaling, host-parasite interaction, genome editing, CRISPR/Cas9. Integrating cellular, biochemical and genetic approaches the Lander lab studies the signaling pathways by which Trypanosoma cruzi—the etiological agent of Chagas disease—senses microenvironmental changes and triggers specific cellular responses that lead to differentiation among the main stages of the parasite's life cycle.
David Lentz*
Email address: lentzdl@ucmail.uc.edu
Research interest: Historical ecology, paleoethnobotany
Stephen Matter*
Lab Website
Email address: mattersf@ucmail.uc.edu
Research interest: Ecology, metapopulation, dispersal, migration, climate change, population, modelling, community
Nathan Morehouse*
Lab Website
Email address: morehonn@ucmail.uc.edu
Research interests: Visual and behavioral ecology, coevolutionary dynamics of reproductive traits
The Morehouse Lab studies the visual ecology and reproductive biology of insects and spiders. Research themes include the evolution of visual functions like color vision and gaze control, sensory exploitation, sexual selection, sexual conflict, and life history evolution.
Ken Petren*
Email address: petrenk@ucmail.uc.edu
Research interest: Landscape genetics, rapid evolution, ancient DNA, vertebrates
Stephanie Rollmann*
Lab Website
Email address: stephanie.rollmann@uc.edu
Research interest: Genetics and neurobiology of behavior, olfaction; chemical ecology
The Rollmann lab takes a multi-dimensional approach to understanding the genetic and neural underpinnings of chemical communication and behavior by combining behavioral, molecular genetic and neurophysiological approaches.