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
GLOBAL CHANGE
FRESHWATER BIOLOGY
MARINE BIOLOGY
BIOMECHANICS
DISEASE BIOLOGY
BIOGEOCHEMISTRY
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 microorganisms, 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, genomics, 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 communities 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 understanding 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.
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
Restoring endangered species of cactus in the Florida Keys.
Sampling a stream in Hillsborough County to determine bacterial levels
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.
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
Recording levels of parasite infection in the laboratory
Monitoring changing coastal environments at Sapelo Island, Georgia
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) chloroplasts. 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 environments.
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