Zoology
Dr. Wayne Maddison
Email: wmaddisn@interchange.ubc.ca
Office: 604-822-1545
Category: Biodiversty, Ecology & Evolution
Dr. Maddison’s research focuses on the diversity of forms and behaviours of jumping
spiders, which led to systematic, phylogenetic theory and computer programming. His
work continues to be both empirical, on spiders, and theoretical, on the use of phylogeny
in evolutionary inference.
Lab website: http://salticidae.org/wpm/
Dr. Linda Matsuuchi
Email: matsuchi@zoology.ubc.ca
Office: 604-822-4881 (research); 604-827-4236 (LSI Admin office); Lab: 604-827-3998
Category: Cell and Developmental Biology
Dr. Matsuuchi’s research focuses on the cell signaling of specific membrane receptors,
combining aspects of Cell Biology, Immunology , Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
The work ranges from studying the downstream consequences of intracellular signaling
and how the BCR interacts with protein tyrosine kinases, phosphatases and other
associated proteins to how signaling changes the cytoskeletal architecture in B
lymphocytes. Recently Matsuuchi lab has embarked on a study of the gap junction
protein connexin43 (Cx43), whose expression profoundly influences lymphocyte
responses to BCR and chemokine receptor signaling.
Dr. William K. Milsom
(not in research)
Dr. Mary O'Connor
Email: oconnor@zoology.ubc.ca
Category: Ecology
Dr. O’Connor’s research focuses on what drives variation in ecosystem structure and
function to better understand the ecological impacts of climate change and habitat
modification, and to explore how conservation efforts can be most effective given natural
environmental changes. Current projects in the lab include exploring seagrass
ecosystems in British Columbia, experimentally warming aquatic ecosystems, studying
pika foraging behavior in the Columbia Mountains of B.C. and linking coastal ecosystem
services to underlying ecological processes.
Lab website: http://oconnorlab.weebly.com/index.html
Dr. Don Moerman
Email: moerman@zoology.ubc.ca
Office: 604-822-3365
Category: Cell and Developmental Biology
Dr. Moerman’s research focuses on the assembly and organization of myofilaments
within the body wall muscle of the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.
Specifically, they are attempting to identify new proteins critical for organizing the
sarcomere adhesion complex and determine how and where these proteins participate
in this process. Also, another project known as gene knockout project working to
produce null mutations in identified and predicted genes in the C. elegans genome in
order to determine the function of genes specific to nematodes that could offer the
pharmaceutical industry new target proteins for nematicide development.
Lab website: http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/~dgmweb/
Dr. Matt Ramer
Email: ramer@icord.org
Category: Cell and Developmental Biology
Dr. Ramer’s research focuses on primary sensory nerve cells (neurons), which are
responsible for the transmission of somatic (bodily) sensations such as touch, pain, hot,
cold and so on from the periphery (skin, muscles and viscera) to the central nervous
system (CNS, spinal cord and brain). Moreover, one of the major research focuses is on
changes that occur in sensory neurons and other cells of the nervous system when they
are injured, the consequences to the physiology and behaviour of animals (rats and mice)
with damaged sensory neurons, and ways to improve the outcome of such damage.
Lab Website: http://icord.org/researchers/dr-matt-ramer/
Dr. Terry Snutch
Email: snutch@zoology.ubc.ca
Office: 604-822-6968
Category: Cell and Developmental Biology
Dr. Snutch’s research focuses on studying the molecular mechanisms by which neurons
transmit, receive and store information in the mammalian central nervous system.
Neurons communicate with each other using a combination of electrical and chemical
signalling. The molecules which mediate this signalling are voltage-gated ion channels
and neurotransmitter receptors. Current projects in the lab includes the characterization
of the molecular and subcellular localization of calcium channel subtypes in the nervous
system, and the analysis of the functional properties of calcium channel subtypes in a
number of exogenous expression systems. In another project in the lab are attempting to
isolate and characterize promoter regions sufficient to direct expression of genes to one
specific region of the brain, the hippocampus. Furthermore, other projects include the
study of G-proteins involved in neuronal signal transduction, and also the knock-out of
ion channel and receptor gene expression using antisense RNA and DNA techniques in
cultured cells.
Dr. Eric B. (Rick) Taylor
Email: etaylor@zoology.ubc.ca
Office: 604-822-9152
Lab: 604-822-1301
Category: Ecology, Evolution
Dr. Taylor’s research focuses on understanding patterns of genetic variation within and
between natural populations, the processes that promote and organize such variation,
and their relevance to the origins and conservation of biodiversity. More specifically, he
is interested in population structure and the historical and contemporary processes that
influence population structure, speciation and hybridization (both ecological and genetic
mechanisms of divergence and persistence in the face of gene flow), and the
implications of these processes to biodiversity conservation. The techniques employed
in the lab includes molecular genetics (utilizing mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA
markers, mtDNA and intron sequencing and RFLP analyses), morphological, and
ecological, studies are conducted in the general fields of population genetics, molecular
ecology and systematics, and conservation genetics and biodiversity to address
questions in the evolution and ecology of natural fish populations.
Courses Taught:
BIOL 465- Diversity and Evolution of Fishes
BIOL 447- Principles and Methodology in Biological Research
Lab website: http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/~etaylor/
Dr. Wolfram Tetzlaff
Email: tetzlaff@icord.org
Office: 604-822-1675
Category: Cell and Developmental Biology
Dr. Tetzlaff’s research focuses on neural development and regeneration, working
towards an understanding of the failure of the spinal cord to regenerate after
spinal cord injury, with the ultimate goal of contributing to the development of
therapeutic strategies for spinal cord and brain trauma. Currently, Dr. Tetzlaff is
using approaches such as gene manipulation to enhance the regenerative
potential of nerve fibers. The techniques employed range from Confocal
microscopy, Electron microscopy, Electrophysiology, Genetic manipulation in
models to Stem cell and cellular transplantation. His ultimate vision is to combine
multiple strategies to encourage nerve cells to grow and enhance recovery after
SCI. Hopefully; this may be translated to clinical practice.
Lab website: http://icord.org/researchers/dr-wolfram-tetzlaff/
Dr. Diane Srivastava
Email: srivast@zoology.ubc.ca
Office: 604-822-1350
Category: Ecology
Dr. Srivastava’s research focuses on fundamental questions in community ecology but
center around the ecology of species diversity. In particular, the lab investigates how the
interaction of spatial and trophic processes determines which species occur within food
webs and examine how species loss from these food webs can affect the way
ecosystem function. The lab addresses these questions through a combination of
experiments, surveys, and meta-analyses of published data. For experimental tests, they
use two naturally contained but miniature ecosystems: bromeliads and moss patches.
Courses Taught:
BIOL 304: Fundamentals of Ecology
BIOL 404: Ecological Methodology
BIOL 548: Stochasticity in Community Ecology
ZOOL 502: Skills and Concepts for Advanced Ecology
Lab website: http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/~srivast/index.html
Dr. John Steeves
Email: steeves@icord.org
Office: 604-822-5344
Category: Cell and Developmental Biology
Dr. Steeves’s research focuses on arm and hand rehabilitation after spinal cord injuries.
His goal is to improve rehabilitation strategies by using assistive robots and virtual-reality
training. Also, Dr.Steeves works on developing better criteria for enrolling participants in
SCI clinical trials, and on improving outcome measures of the electrical properties of the
body and the nervous system. The improved protocols and outcome measures which
result from Dr. Steeves’ work will make sure that the trials do run correctly and will
improve their validity. This will allow potential therapies and interventions to be
accurately assessed as beneficial or not. The techniques employed range from
Electrophysiological recordings, Robot assisted movement to virtual reality training. As
the founding director of ICORD, Dr. Steeves says the greatest reward of working at
ICORD is watching its continued evolution.
Courses Taught:
BIOL 458: Developmental Neurobiology
Lab website: http://icord.org/researchers/dr-john-steeves/
Dr. Sarah (Sally) Otto
Email: otto@zoology.ubc.ca
Office: 604-822-2778
Category: Evolution
Dr. Otto’s research focuses on studying population genetics and evolutionary biology.
She develops and analyzes mathematical models to study how populations change over
time. The aim of this work is to identify when and whether particular evolutionary
transitions are possible.
Major questions addressed:
- Ploidy level -- When are haploid or diploid life cycles favored by evolution?
- Mating system -- How do mating preferences evolve? When is sexual reproduction
favored over asexual reproduction?
- The architecture of the genome -- How do recombination rates/mutation rates evolve?
How do chromosomes evolve?
Courses Taught:
BIOL 301: Biomathematics
BIOL 336: Evolutionary Genetics
BIOL 500D: Population and Quantitative Genetics
Lab website: http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/~otto/index.html
Dr. Robert Shadwick
Email: shadwick@zoology.ubc.ca
Office: 604-827-3149
Category: Comparative Physiology
Dr. Shadwick’s research focuses on examining the mechanisms used by marine
organisms and studying the design of propulsive systems in aquatic organisms, looking
at fish locomotion mechanics, particularly high speed and unsteady swimming. As a
result of this work, it will provide insights that can be used to design self-propelled
aquatic vehicles where speed and manoeuvrability are crucial features. Additionally,
Shadwick's studies of mechanics and hydrodynamics of fish locomotion in the context of
conservation will help scientists address how commercially important salmon can meet
the energy and biomechanical challenges of their migrations.
Dr. Jane Roskams
Email: roskams@zoology.ubc.ca
Office: 604-827-5080; Lab: 604 827 5082
Category: Cell and Developmental Biology
Dr. Roskams’s research focuses on the regulation of normal and abnormal nervous
system development, and in determining how understanding these mechanisms may be
exploited to stimulate regeneration when cells of the nervous system become
injured. Most of the discovery research has historically utilized a simple, fascinating and
uniquely talented part of the nervous system - the olfactory system. Current projects
being addressed in professor Roskams’s lab include regulation of neural stem cells,
Glial-based mechanisms of regeneration and Epigenetic regulation of Neuronal
Differentiation.
Lab website: http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/~roskams/
Dr. Nelly Pante
Email: pante@zoology.ubc.ca
Office: 604-822-3369; Lab: 604 822 0664
Office location:
Life Science Centre
2350 Health Science Mall
Room 3458
Lab location:
Life Science Centre
2350 Health Science Mall
Room 3440
Professor: Cell and Developmental Biology
Ph.D., Brandeis University, USA
M.Sc., The Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC), Caracas, Venezuela
B.Sc. (Hons.), Simon Bolivar University, Caracas, Venezuela
Category: Cell and Developmental Biology
Dr.Pante’s research focuses on molecular trafficking pathways within the cell:
bidirectional transport of macromolecules between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. To
investigate the problem, the lab uses cellular and molecular techniques in combination
with fluorescence and electron microscopy. In addition, the lab also studies how viruses
deliver their genome to the cell nucleus. These studies on nuclear import of viral
genomes are of particular importance because they may lead to the development of
treatments and drugs that block nuclear uptake of viruses and thereby viral replication
and propagation of infections. The viruses presently under investigation in the lab
include Influenza virus, Hepatitis B virus and parvoviruses.
Courses Taught:
BIOL 200: Cell Biology I: Structural Basis
BIOL 441: Animal Cell Biology
Lab website: http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/~pante/
Dr. Daniel Pauly
No information… (Not doing research)
Dr. Tony Pitcher
No information… (Not doing research)
Dr. Jeffrey Richards
Email: jrichard@zoology.ubc.ca
Office: 604-822-2381
Lab: 604 822 4201
Category: Comparative Physiology
Dr.Richards’s research focuses on understanding the adaptive significance of the
mechanisms coordinating cellular responses to stress. Specifically, he is interested in
the physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms that act to balance energy
supply and demand during short- and long-term exposure to environmental stress and
the signal transduction pathways responsible for coordinating acclimation. Currently, fish
are an excellent model to examine bioenergetics and adaptation to environmental stress
because they routinely encounter harsh environmental conditions (e.g. hypoxia) and
posses the physiological, biochemical and molecular framework to deal with these
perturbations.
Dr. Dolph Schluter
Email: schluter@zoology.ubc.ca
Office: 604-822-2387
Category: Ecology, Evolution
Dr.Schluter’s research focuses on investigating the ecological forces responsible for the
origin and persistence of species and the evolution of differences between them in
resource use, body form, and mating preferences. Principally, the lab studies recent
adaptive radiation — the evolution of ecological diversity in groups of organisms that are
multiplying rapidly. Furthermore, the research presently has three main directions. The
first concerns the role of interactions (competition and predation) in the evolution of
differences between species. The second area concerns the origin and persistence of
species themselves, especially the role of ecological selection and reinforcement in the
buildup of mating incompatibilities between populations exploiting different environments,
and their persistence in the face of gene flow. The third area, in collaboration with David
Kingsley at Stanford University and Katie Peichel at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Center, investigates the genetic basis of species differences.
Courses Taught:
Biology 418 – Evolutionary Ecology
Biology 501 – Quantitative methods in Ecology & Evolution
Biology 525a – Speciation
Lab Website: http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/~schluter/wordpress/
Dr. Patricia Schulte
Email: pschulte@zoology.ubc.ca
Office: 604-822-4276
Lab: 604-822-6759
Category: Physiology, Evolution
Dr. Schulte’s research focuses on using approaches including molecular biology,
biochemistry, physiology, genomics, population genetics, and evolutionary biology to
address the question: what are the physiological adaptations that allow animals to live in
particular environments? Fish are use as model systems to study the evolution of the
mechanisms that allow animals to respond to a changing environment. Some current
projects focus on thermal adaptation in common killifish, conservation genomics of
Atlantic salmon, and evolution of exercise performance in three-spine stickleback.
Dr. Rosemary (Rosie) J. Redfield
Email: redfield at zoology.ubc.ca
Office: 604-822-3744
Lab: 604-822-6323
Category: Cell and Developmental Biology
Dr. Redfield’s research focuses on a number of important questions: How are inflexible
and highly charged DNA molecules transported across membranes? What
environmental or physiological signals trigger this ability? Is the DNA used primarily as a
genetic or a nutritional resource? The goal is to answer these questions for Haemophilus
influenzae, an important human pathogen and the model system for studies of DNA
uptake in the gamma-proteobacteria. The questions are interrelated - consideration of
biological function guides investigation of mechanism and regulation, and understanding
the mechanism and regulation helps us understand why cells take up DNA.
Lab website: http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/~redfield/index.html
Dr. Tony Farrell
Email: farrellt@interchange.ubc.ca
Office: 604-822-6602
Category: Comparative Physiology
Dr.Farrell’s research focuses on integrative and comparative animal physiology,
cardiorespiratory dynamics, myocardial oxygen supply, coronary physiology and
coronary pathology, blood flow regulation, salmon migratory passage, aquatic toxicology.
Some current projects focus Cardiorespiratory physiology of fish, Spawning migration of
Pacific salmon and climate change, Triploidy and fitness in rainbow trout, Primitive fish
(hagfish and lampreys), and Pink salmon & Sea lice.
COURSES TAUGHT:
BIOL 364-Animal Physiology
BIOL 454-Comparative Animal Physiology
Lab website: http://people.landfood.ubc.ca/anthony.farrell/
Carl Walters
Email: c.walters@fisheries.ubc.ca
Office Phone: 604-822-6320
Room: ______
Category: Ecology
Dr. Walter’s research focuses on the development of rapid techniques for teaching
systems analysis and mathematical modeling to biologists and resource managers. He
is a professor at the Fisheries Center and his work is focused on fish population
dynamics, fisheries assessment and sustainable management.
Dr. Walters was presented with the American Institute of Fisheries Research Biologists
Award for 2011 for outstanding individual achievement and has also been nominated to
be a fellow of The Royal Society of Canada.
Web Page: http://www.fisheries.ubc.ca/faculty-staff/carl-walters
Micheal Whitlock
Email: whitlock@zoology.ubc.ca
Office Phone: 604-822-2069
Room: 216 Biodiversity Research Centre
Category: Evolution
Professor Whitlock ‘s research focuses on evolution in structured populations. Currently,
He is investigating a broad array of topics that affect evolution such as the probability of
fixing an allele, the load due to deleterious mutations and if this load is constant across
populations, as well as how genetic variance is maintained in structured populations.
Current projects being addressed in professor Whitlock’s lab include developing models
for frequency-dependent selection in structured populations, designing a statistical
framework to adjust for population structure when looking for genes under selection, and
determining G matrix and mutation evolution by the effects of phenotypic plasticity
Professor Whitlock teaches: Biology 300: Biostatistics, Biology 434: Population Genetics
and Bio 509: A graduate evolution class on population and quantitative genetics.
List of publications: http://www.bcu.ubc.ca/~whitlock/publications.html
Web Page: http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/%7Ewhitlock/index.html
Dr. Ninan Abraham
Email: ninan[at]mail.ubc.ca
Office: 604-822-0122
Lab: 604-827-5461
Fax: 604-822-6041
Category: Cell and Developmental Biology
Dr. Abraham's research focuses on the development, maintenance and proper
functioning of T- and B-cells because of how they are essential for the survival of
mammals in a pathogen-ridden environment. Specifically on a cytokine, interleukin-7
(IL-7), that is an essential growth factor for lymphocytes. Defects in IL-7 or its
deregulation cause immunodeficiency and lymphomas respectively. He aims to use
genetic models of IL-7 function to understand the key intracellular, signaling processes
that contribute to these diseases and to formulate novel therapeutic strategies.
Projects he is pursuing include the genetic analysis in lymphocyte development,
maintenance and lymphomagenesis using transgenic and knock-in mouse models,
and cell culture-based approaches; the determination of the dose-sensitivity of IL-7induced survival factors; IL-7 regulation of CD8 SP T-cell development and
homeostasis; and functional genomic, proteomic and gene array approaches to
identify novel effectors induced by IL-7 with significant roles in lymphoid development
and lymphomagenesis.
Dr. Martin Adamson
Email: adamson@zoology.ubc.ca
Office phone: 604-822-3367
Category: Evolution
Dr. Adamson's research focuses on the evolutionary biology of parasites with
particular, but not exclusive reference to nematodes, and is a marriage of ecology and
phylogenetic systematics with morphological and molecular approaches to phylogeny
being used. Projects currently active are the origins of zooparasitic nematodes using
sequence of the 18s ribosomal genes to investigate the possible multiple origin of
parasitic forms; the ecology of species formation studying differences among
sympatric sibling species to determine factors that may be involved in speciation; and
community interactions by census of wild parasite communities and experimental
manipulations of parasites in the laboratory colonies primarilly studying interspecific
and intraspecific effects that govern community structure. Our studies on the pinworm
community of the American cockroach demonstrate intraspecific mechanisms that
permit species packing in the absence of niche diversification.
Dr. Douglas Altshuler
Email: doug@zoology.ubc.ca
Office: (604) 827-5361
Lab: (604) 822-2373
Category: Comparative Physiology
Dr. Altshuler's research focuses on animal flight behavior due to how it provides a
powerful yet experimentally tractable system with which to merge reductionist and
comparative approaches to understand how complex locomotion is accomplished, and
how variation in locomotor performance influences higher-order behaviors. He aims to
integrate approaches ranging from laboratory experiments to evolutionary comparisons
because understanding the mechanisms of flight control also requires understanding the
historical forces that have shaped it. Conversely, to evaluate the mechanisms by which
ecological changes result in biological adaptations requires a well-described system that
can be studied in different environments.
Dr. Amy Angert
Email: amy.angert@ubc.ca
Office phone: 604-827-3892
Category: Ecology, Evolution
Dr. Angert's research focuses on investigating mechanisms of adaptive divergence between
populations and species and the consequences of divergence for patterns of distribution and
abundance by combining experimental manipulations in the field and in the lab and observations
of natural populations with tools from quantitative genetics and physiological ecology. Much of
her research focuses on the evolutionary ecology of geographic ranges within the genus
Mimulus ("monkeyflowers") because of their ecological diversity, history of study, genomic
resources, and ease of propagation. She studies range limit, size and rarity; ecological
speciation and niche evolution; species coexistence, genetic variation and ecosystem function.
She is trying to answer these questions: "if populations are maladapted to environmental
conditions beyond the range, then why don't they evolve by natural selection and expand their
ranges through time?"; "what mating system, life history, or physiological traits are associated
with small range size?"; "do rare species have narrow environmental tolerances, and if so, what
constrains the evolution of broader tolerance?"; and "are widespread species highly plastic,
specialized to a common environment, or composed of many locally adapted populations?"
Dr. Vanessa Auld
E-mail: auld@zoology.ubc.ca
Office: 604-822-1977 (Zoology) 604-822-4213 (Associate Dean)
Lab: 604 822 0697
Category: Cell and Developmental Biology
Dr. Auld's research focuses on the roles that glia play in the development and function
of the nervous system. Glia helps guide axon guidance, separate axons bundles in
nerves and finally wrap and insulate their associated axons and nerves. Any mutation
or disease that disrupts glial cell function or development results in disruption of
nervous system function and can lead to paralysis or death of the animal. The lab
uses a combination of genetics, molecular and cell biology to study glial genes that
are expressed during the development of the embryonic nervous system. The
organism of choice for these studies is the fruit-fly, Drosophila melanogaster, because
of the powerful genetic tools that can be applied to study the molecular interactions
that occur during nervous system development.
Courses taught:
Biology 530- Cell Biology Graduate Course
Lab Website: http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/~auld/auldlab/index.html
Dr. Leticia Avilés
Email: laviles.ubczool@gmail.com
Office: 604-822-3795
Category: Ecology, Evolution
Dr. Avilés's research focuses on elucidating the forces responsible for the association of
lower level units into higher levels of organization and the consequences of such
associations on the structure and dynamics of populations. The lab uses a variety of
research tools, including field work in temperate and tropical areas, computer simulation,
analytical modeling, and laboratory work employing cytological and molecular
techniques.
Currently, the areas of research include: evolution of sociality, evolution of sex ratios in
subdivided populations, and evolution of life history traits and local population dynamics
in metapopulations.
Lab Website: http://domingo.zoology.ubc.ca/AvilesLab/labfront.html
Dr. Colin J. Brauner
Email: brauner@zoology.ubc.ca
Office: 604-822-3372; Lab: 604-822-3378
Category: Comparative Physiology
Dr. Brauner's research focuses on investigating environmental adaptations (both
mechanistic and evolutionary) in relation to gas-exchange, acid-base balance and ion
regulation in fish, integrating responses from the molecular, cellular and organismal level.
The ultimate goal is to understand how evolutionary pressures have shaped
physiological systems among vertebrates and to determine the degree to which
physiological systems can adapt/acclimate to natural and anthropogenic environmental
changes.
Lab website: http://brauner-home.zoology.ubc.ca/
Dr. Hugh W. Brock
Email: brock@zoology.ubc.ca
Office: 604-822-2619; Lab: 604 822-4456
Category: Cell and Developmental Biology
Dr. Brock's research focuses on gene expression patterns to their daughter cells
(maintenance). The mark that establishes which genes are on and which are off in a
given cell must be epigenetic, and is probably a direct or indirect consequence of
changes in chromatin structure. Still, it is not clear what the epienetic mark is, how it is
established, and how the epigenetic mark is interpreted to regulate transcription. The
aim of the lab is to study how PcG proteins are required for maintenance of gene
expression in Drosophila by using genetic and molecular techniques. Failure of
maintenance leads to cancer and abnormal development.
Dr. David Close
Email: d.close@fisheries.ubc.ca
Office: -; Lab: Category: Ecology
Dr. Close's research focuses on the Aboriginal Fisheries Unit combines traditional
ecological knowledge and modern science to support more effective ecosystem and
aquatic resource management. He employs a multidisciplinary approach, including fish
physiology and aquatic ecology, directed toward maintenance of sustainable aboriginal
aquatic resources.
Website: http://www.fisheries.ubc.ca/faculty-staff/david-close
Dr. Gregory Crutsinger
Email: crutsinger@zoology.ubc.ca
Office: 604-822-4549
Room 120 of the Beaty Biodiversity Centre
Category: Ecology
Dr. Crutsinger's research focuses on exploring the links between hierarchies of
biodiversity from genes to ecosystems. His lab aims to understand genetic variation
within species, patterns of diversity within communities, and how ecosystems function.
Lab website: http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/~crutsinger/Crutsinger_lab/home.html
Dr. Michael Doebeli
Email: doebeli@zoology.ubc.ca
In the Department of Zoology:
Office: Biodiversity Research Centre, Rm 215
E-mail: doebeli@zoology.ubc.ca
Phone: (604) 822-3326
Fax: (604) 822-2416
In the Department of Mathematics:
Office: Math 211
E-mail: doebeli@math.ubc.ca
Phone: (604) 822-3878
Fax: (604) 822-6074
Category: Ecology, Evolution, Mathematics
Dr. Doebeli's research focuses on mathematical ecology and evolution, evolution of
diversity, adaptive speciation, evolution of cooperation, adaptive dynamics, game theory,
and experimental evolution in microorganisms.
Courses Taught:
INTEGRATED SCIENCES PROGRAM
MATH 360 - Mathematical Modelling in Science
Website: http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/~doebeli/
Dr. Michael Gordon
Email: gordon@zoology.ubc.ca
Office: 604-827-4854
3352 - 2350 Health Sciences Mall
Category: Cell and Developmental Biology
Dr. Gordon's research focuses on the organization, function, and development of the
neural circuit underlying taste perception and feeding behavior in the fruit fly Drosophila
melanogaster. His lab aims to reveal fundamental principles of neural circuit assembly
and function, and important molecules that regulate feeding. More importantly, it will give
insight into human brain, and how it controls what (and how much) we eat.
Major questions addressed:
1. How are sensory circuits organized? We use behavioural assays to identify new
circuit neurons, and imaging of specialized molecular labels to understand how these
neurons are connected together in the brain.
2. How do neural circuits control behaviour? We use genetic techniques to manipulate
neuron activity and measure the behavioural consequences. We also use functional
live imaging to measure neural activity in an awake, behaving fly.
3. How do neural circuits adapt? We use molecular genetics to manipulate gene function
and determine how different molecules modulate circuit activity and fly behaviour.
4. How do circuits develop? We use a combination of genetics and behaviour to uncover
molecules regulating circuit assembly and understand their roles during development.
Courses Taught:
BIOL 455- Comparative Neurobiology
Dr. Chris Harley
Email: harley@zoology.ubc.ca
Office: 604-827-3431
University of British Columbia
6270 University Blvd.
Associate Professor: Ecology, Evolution
Category: Ecology, Evolution
Dr. Harley's research focuses on how climate change impacts on rocky coasts. His lab is
interested in how climatic factors, such as temperature, CO2, and pH, and biological
relationships, such as predation and facilitation, interact to create ecological patterns in
time and space. Some of the current projects focus on Ocean Acidification, Thermal
stress and Global Warming, Climate change and salinity stress, Ecology of invasive
species, and Long-term ecological change.
Courses Taught:
Biology 326 - Experimental Biology of Invertebrates
Biology 347 - Principles and Methodology in Biological Research
Biology 405 - Marine Ecology
Biology 409 - Field Course in Ecology
Biology 448 - Directed Studies
Lab website: http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/~harley/Harley_Lab/Home.html
Dr. Darren Irwin
Email: irwin@zoology.ubc.ca
Office: 604-822-4357
Category: Ecology, Evolution
Dr. Irwin’s research focuses on understanding how new species arise, how geographical
variation within species is produced, and how behaviors evolve. He studies carefully
chosen model systems using an integrative approach, employing techniques such as
DNA sequencing, computer-assisted analysis of vocalizations, observation and
experimentation in the field, and computer simulation. Research systems have included
passerine birds in Asia, Europe, and North America.
Courses Taught:
Biology 300- Fundamentals of Biostatistics
Biology 409: Field Course in Ecology
Biology 427: Ornithology and Herpetology
Biology 525A: Speciation
Lab website: http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/~irwin/irwinlab/
Dr. Jill Jankowski
Email: jankowsk@biodiversity.ubc.ca
Office: 604-827-3871
Biodiversity Research Centre, Room 118
Category: Ecology
Dr. Jankowski’s research focuses on the study of patterns of species diversity and
distributions in heterogeneous landscapes, from questions on the drivers of community
and assembly to understanding ecological and evolutionary forces that act on species
range boundaries. Her lab is typically steeped in field study and use a combination of
observational, experimental and comparative approaches. As a result, it enables the lab
to evaluate the threats that species face with such environmental change hinges upon
understanding of the abiotic and biotic determinants of their distributions.
Courses Taught:
Biology 413- Zoogeography
Lab website: http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/~jankowsk/
Dr. Jedediah Brodie
Email:brodie@biodiversity.ubc.ca
Lab: Biodiversity Research Centre
Departments of Botany & Zoology
University of British Columbia
3529-6270 University Blvd.
Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
Category: Biodiversty, Ecology & Evolution
Dr. Bordie’s research focuses on ecology, evolution, and conservation of mammals and
plant-animal interactions such as zoochorous seed dispersal; impacts of climate change,
hunting, and other anthropogenic stressors on tropical forests and wildlife. Most of the
work is in tropical forests, with a particular focus on Southeast Asia. More specifically, Dr.
Brodie is interested in both basic ecological research and applied conservation, for
example assessing how "bushmeat" hunting, climate change, logging, and other
anthropogenic stressors affect wildlife populations, forest dynamics, and species
interactions.
Lab website: http://jedediahbrodie.weebly.com/
Dr. Brian Leander
Email: bleander@interchange.ubc.ca
Office: 604-822-2474; Lab: 604-822-4892
Category: Biodiversty, Ecology & Evolution
Dr. Leander’s research focuses on the discovery and characterization of marine
organismal diversity and comparative studies of novel morphological systems in
predatory eukaryotes (i.e., marine invertebrate zoology & protistology). More specifically,
Dr. Leander is interested in the diversity and evolution of organisms and organismal
traits, particularly features associated with feeding, locomotion and symbiotic
interactions. By using molecular phylogenetic methods, it allows the studying of the key
innovations and transformations associated with broad patterns of morphological
change.
Dr.Yue-Xian Li
Email: yxli@interchange.ubc.ca
Office phone: 604-822-6225
Category: Cell and Developmental Biology
Dr.Li’s research focuses on three major research topics: Calcium signalling in
neuroendocrine cells, Fertilization calcium waves in oocytes., and Synchrony in
neuroendocrine cells and rhythmogenesis in hormonal signals. His research is to
develop and analyse mathematical models of these phenomena based on
experimentally established mechanisms.
Website: http://www.math.ubc.ca/~yxli/