Faculty & Staff Profiles

Leo P. Bruederle, Ph.D., Department Chair, Associate Professor

Research Interests: Evolution of species-rich genera such as Carex (Cyperaceae); plant systematics at and below the level of genus, population genetics and endemism, and conservation genetics in species of special concern; and development of undergraduate research opportunities.

Office: NC 3016 F
Phone: 303-556-3419
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Amanda Charlesworth, Ph.D., Assistant Professor

Office: TBA

Phone: TBA

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Greg Cronin, Ph.D., Associate Professor

Research Interests: Aquatic ecology, including plant-herbivore interactions and chemical ecology.  Focus on impacts of natural and anthropogenic disturbances on the ecosystem structure and function of streams, reservoirs, and wetlands.

Office: NC 3016B
Phone: 303- 556-6036
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Michele Engel, Ph.D., Assistant Professor

Research Interests: Plant fertilization, particularly molecular events allowing sperm-egg and sperm-central cell adhesion/fusion. Also pollen tube growth, pistil signaling, and male gamete unit development. Goals include using molecular techniques to characterize sperm surface proteins and their role in fertilization and to investigate genes involved in male gamete unit formation.

Office: NC 3016 C
Phone: 303-556-2593
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Charles A. Ferguson, Ph.D., Associate Professor

Research Interests: Effects of environmental toxicants on neuronal development, morphology, and physiology.  Additional interests include Science Teaching Pedagogy and the First Year Experience.

Office: NC 3014 B
Phone: 303- 556-4350
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Health Careers 09 Fall Calendar

Michael J. Greene, Ph.D., Assistant Professor

Research Interests: Understanding mechanisms by which semiochemicals, natural products that act as signals or cues, mediate animal physiology and behavior; characterizing the chemical structures of these semiochemicals along with factors regulating their production; and characterizing the ecological, behavioral and social contexts under which they operate.

Office: NC 3014 C
Phone: 303- 556-5610
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Laurel Hartley, Ph.D., Assistant Professor

Research Interests: Dr. Hartley's research experience, and interests are in the fields of science education and ecology. Her research interests in science education involve understanding what it means to be literate about ecological concepts and how current K-16 benchmarks and practices contribute to scientific literacy. Her scientific research bridges community ecology and ecosystem ecology to explore ways that plant communities respond to perturbations such as emerging infectious diseases, intensive herbivory, nutrient inputs, and invasive species introduction.

Office: NC 4019D

Phone: 303-556-6251

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Office: CU- Denver Building, Ste. 110

Phone: 303.556.2557

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Lisa K. Johansen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor

Research Interests: Virus-host interactions and RNA silencing in Arabidopsis -- characterization of six RNA-dependent RNA polymerase genes and their roles in RNA silencing in response to biological and environmental stresses, such as viruses, drought, salinity, and temperature. GeneChip technology is being used for large scale genomic analysis.

Office: NC 3014 D
Phone: 303-556-6250
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Roderick Nairn, Ph.D., Professor

Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs

Timberley Roane, Ph.D., Associate Professor

Research Interests: Microbial methods of chemical detoxification, and physiological responses of microorganisms to environmental and biological stress. Also, understanding microbial community structure and function, and the use of microorganisms as indicators of environmental quality.

Office: NC 3411
Phone: 303- 556-6592
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Bradley J. Stith, Ph.D., Professor

Research Interests: Developmental and cell biology.  Ongoing research addresses insulin action and stimulation of the insulin receptor by the diabetic drug Glucophage, as well as the use of new lipid analysis methods to record changes in numerous lipids during meiotic cell division and fertilization in Xenopus laevis.

Office: NC 3402
Phone: 303-556-3371
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Diana F. Tomback, Ph.D., Professor

Research Interests: Evolutionary, behavioral, and conservation ecology emphasizing seed dispersal mutualisms between white pines and Clark’s nutcrackers, as well as conservation of white pine ecosystems. Long-term study of  whitebark pine regeneration after fires in Yellowstone and whitebark pine infection in the Rocky Mountains by white pine blister rust.

Office: NC 3014 E
Phone: 303-556-2657
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Alan Vajda, Ph.D., Assistant Professor

Research Interests: Environmental Signaling and Endocrine Disruption. Dr. Vajda's lab focus is on the emerging eco-human health issue of endocrine-active chemicals in wastewater-dominated streams. Studies include: neural mechanisms underlying reproductive disruption by estrogenic mixtures, ecosystem responses to major engineering upgrades, and the role of global water management decisions in mitigating adverse impacts of environmental chemicals on the health of humans and wildlife.

Office: SI 221

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Michael Wunder, Ph.D., Assistant Professor

Research Interests: Quantitative ecology, biogeography, and population dynamics. Characterizing and understanding space-time dependencies in ecological systems, especially those involving highly mobile or migratory animals.

Office: NC 3404

Phone: 303-556-8870

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David Albeck, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology

Research Interests: The Albeck lab studies the behavioral and physiological effects of aging, with particular emphasis on non-invasive strategies of enhancing neurotrophin expression and cognitive function.

Office: NC 5008G
Phone: 303-556-6718
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Richard Allen Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology

Research Interests: Psychopharmacology. Neurobiological and behavioral mechanisms that contribute to cocaine tolerance, sensitization and drug dependence (i.e., "addiction"). Glutamatergic mechanisms that underlie escalation of cocaine use.  Pharmacological, neurobiological, and behavioral mechanisms that alter the abuse potential of psychoactive drugs.

Office: NC 5008H
Phone: 303-556-6740
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Dr. Allen is on sabbatical until 2009 Spring Semester

Mary Coussons-Read, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology

Research Interests: Effects of prenatal stress on maternal health and immunity; Role of maternal stress in pregnancy complications and poor bith outcomes; Impact of perinatal stress on early immunological and behavioral develpment; Opioid-induced alterations in immune function and infection; Pavolvian conditioning of immune responses.

Office: NC 5002M
Phone: 303-556-2687
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Jennifer Ramp Neale, Ph.D.

Research Interests: Conservation and restoration genetics; the incorporation of genetics and pollination in conservation/restoration planning including the incorporation of genetic data into GIS; community-level genetic examination and conservation;demographic monitoring and pollination studies of rare and endangered flora in the Rocky Mountain region.

Denver Botanic Gardens

Phone: 720-865-3562

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Aimee Bernard, Ph.D., Sr. Instructor

Research Interest:

Gustavus Adolphus College in 1995 (B.A.), University of Rochester in 2001 (Ph.D. in Immunology). Ph.D. work focused on a model of B-cell tolerance in humans based on the VH4.34 gene segment. Postdoctoral work at the Barbara Davis Center in Denver, CO focused on the study of Nkx2.2 knockout mice and subsequent pancreatic and gastrointestinal development. Further postdoctoral work at National Jewish Research & Medical Center in Denver, CO focused on the study of signaling pathways in B cells, particularly FcgRIIb and class II MHC.

Office: NC 4019A

Phone: 303.556.6595

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Tod Duncan, Ph.D., Senior Instructor

Research Interests:

My most recent research has involved the development of the model organism Drosophila melanogaster to study the human DNA repair disorder Fanconi’s Anemia.

Office: NC 3016 E
Phone: 303-352-3664
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Cheri Jones, Ph.D., Senior Instructor

Research interests

Office: NC 3014F
Phone: 303-556-2658
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Kenton Nofsinger, M.D., Senior Instructor

Major areas of interest include human gross anatomy, human pathology, and ophthalmology, especially diseases and surgery of the retina and vitreous. An additional focus is health professions advising.

Office: NC 3014
Phone: 303-556-6218
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Kimberly Regier, Instructor

Kim received her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder in Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology. She worked for the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (non-profit organization) for four years following graduation, researched and documented rare plant populations around the state of Colorado, returned to school for a graduate degree in 1999 at the University of Colorado at Denver and graduated in 2003.

Office: NC 3016 D
Phone: 303-556-8309
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Marc Goalstone, Ph.D., Lecturer

Research Interests: Dr. Goalstone’s lab is focused on insulin signaling as it relates to obesity, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, he is determining intracellular mechanisms that highlight the pathophysiological dysfunction of intracellular insulin signaling as the sequelae of hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance in the context of Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus. Dr. Goalstone hypothesizes that hyperinsulinemia, even in the presence of insulin resistance and down regulation of insulin-stimulated metabolic effects, augments the mitogenic properties of more potent growth and inflammatory factors on endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells, resulting in deleterious vascular remodeling and increased expression of cellular adhesion molecules. Additionally, Dr. Goalstone is performing preliminary studies on the relationship of insulin resistance and Alzheimer’s Disease, which many have dubbed Type-3 Diabetes.

Phone: 303.399.8020 xt 3610

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James Wilson,Ph.D., Lecturer

Research Interests:

The endocrinological and genetic bases of maternal behavior, sexual behavior, activity differences, and learning differences in mice; and genetic studies of cognitive functions in humans.

Contact by: E-mail

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Jacki Craig

Administrative Assistant III

Office: NC 3014
Phone: 303-556-8440
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Office: NC 3416

Phone: 303-556-5291

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James Salmen

Lab Coordinator

Office: NC 3417
Phone: 303-556-6727
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Barbara Schmidt

Program Assistant I

Office: NC3 3016 A
Phone: 303-556-3804
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