My interests are broadly focused on studies of evolution, animal behavior and conservation, incorporating data gathered from molecular genetic methods and detailed field studies. I am particularly interested in evolutionary theory and its application to animal behavior, molecular evolution and conservation. My work has predominantly focused on studies on genetics and behavior of Holarctic birds, but students and collaborators work on varied taxa like deer, ticks, black flies, blood parasites and brain worm. Common loons (Gavia immer): their genetics, their behavior and their conservation. The specific molecular genetic investigations ongoing in my lab related to loons focus on: 1) Chasing down Major Histocompatability loci, hoping to eventually test MHC-genotype moderated mercury induced immune dysfunction. 2) Analyses of population genetic parameters (inbreeding, migration, etc.) using mitochondrial and single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) markers. 3) Molecular genetic diagnosis and demographic analysis of juvenile sex-ratios. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus): we are currently developing molecular genetic techniques to diagnose the sex of unknown deer samples. This is research has been undertaken in collaboration with National Park Service biologists, and work may move into SNP development for genotyping and eventually into related studies with black bear or beaver. Other Collaborators: there are several other studies underway at NMU which include molecular genetic data and are being performed in collaboration with our lab: Meggin Weinandt: Meggin is a graduate student working with me on loons and the relationship between the birds, their blood parasites and the black flies which serve as vectors for the blood parasites. She is using molecular genetic techniques to augment her parasite detection techniques. Dr. Jackie Bird: Dr. Bird and I have been working on a couple of projects related to her undying interest in anything parasitic. We have begun work with lyme disease bacteria and the tick vectors that carry the disease, and currently she (with her student Brian Brinkman) is looking at detecting brainworm infections of moose. Undergraduate Research: at present there are 10 undergraduates working in my lab on these various projects. Below is a picture of the lab group taken at the end-of-year BBQ party at my house. Pictured from left to right are: Sarah Hagle, Brian Brinkman, Julian Dupuis, Jane Stieber, Grant Slusher, Ellen Lawrence, Kim Hardenbrook, Viktoria Koskenoja, Wendy Schalk, Zeko McKenzie, Meggin Weinandt (a MS student) and Steve Caird (seated, barefoot and apparently stunned). They all decided to put on their "runway" faces (or something like that) for this picture (Julian and Viktoria have a particularly nice pose here, don't you think?). Don't ask me. Click on any of their names above to see closeup pictures of each of them (and Ellen has a brief movie!).   Past Lab Members: John Elwell, Nikole Goldsmith, David Hoffelder, Stephanie Jones, Andrew Moriarity, Aubrey Parsons, Tom Pedersen, Justin Segula, Nick Squires, Leah Stoner, Michael Wierda

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This site was last updated 04/23/07