The project’s goal is to transform STEM research, education and workforce development within Rhode Island.
Faculty Researchers
Learn more about the research in which faculty are currently engaged.
Students in the Britt lab work on finding new antibiotic-producing bacteria, as part of the Small World Initiative. We isolate bacteria from soil samples, test colonies for the ability to inhibit growth of specific pathogens, then identify the soil bacteria using PCR and DNA sequencing. We also survey for antibiotic resistant organisms within the soil isolates. Interested undergraduate students are invited to apply for BIOL 491 or 492 independent study. Email dbritt@ric.edu.
The Hewins Lab focuses on ecosystem ecology and biogeochemistry and how drivers of carbon and nutrient cycling are affected by disturbances such as land use change, plant community change and climate change. Students in the Hewins Lab measure litter decomposition and extracellular enzyme activity along with environmental parameters to link disturbance to process at the ecosystem scale. Additionally, the Hewins Lab is interested in using empirical data to inform models that aim to predict future climate and its associate feedback on the rates of biogeochemical cycling. Email dhewins@ric.edu.
The Ford lab is focused on cellular responses to environmentally relevant toxicants. In particular, the Ford lab is interested in how combinations of stressors influence cellular processes in a manner that is greater than single contaminant exposure. We focus on a wide range of contaminants including heavy metals and those that mimic the action of estrogen. The lab’s current research focuses on Tetrahymena pyriformis, a ciliated protist, and the response to various metal stressors. We are currently examining how T. pyriformis responds to cadmium, copper and zinc by quantifying mRNA abundance of genes that encode metal sequestration proteins or metal transport proteins. Given that T. pyriformis is found ubiquitously in freshwater ecosystems, understanding it’s response to heavy metal contaminants provides a greater understanding of how organisms handle the balance of stressors in the environment. Email: eford@ric.edu
Research in the Maia Lab focuses on fish biomechanics. We use functional morphology to elucidate the evolution of locomotion mechanics and to understand how habitat changes can impact fishes. Our lab studies are complemented by field work to bridge the gap between biomechanics and ecology. We are also interested in the role of body shape, fins and other control surfaces during unsteady locomotion and possible application to bioinspired solutions. Some of the techniques used in my lab are respirometry, kinematics, particle image velocimetry and electromyography. Email aresendedamaia@ric.edu.
Marine invertebrate biology and ecology; echinoderm biomechanics and functional morphology; sea urchin early life history processes; sea urchin adhesive system. Email cnarvaezdiaz@ric.edu.
Whether it's the stripes of a tiger or the vibrant colors of poison dart frogs, pigment patterns are among the most striking and diverse animal traits. Using live-cell imaging and mutational analysis, the Patterson Lab seeks to identify genes and cellular behaviors required for stripe formation in larval zebrafish. Students with interests in cell biology, genetics or developmental biology are welcome to apply. Email lpatterson@ric.edu.
Research in the Ramsay Lab examines organismal morphology (shape), how morphology influences mechanics (physics), and how morphology and mechanics together promote physiological performance during specific behaviors. We are particularly interested in how the musculoskeletal structures used during vertebrate feeding and locomotion may govern the types of food (resources) that can be used, along with the ability to move and navigate through environments. Data collected from these studies is used to answer questions regarding the evolutionary and ecological significance of such physical features as well as determine how we can use this knowledge in fields of paleontology, engineering, medicine, and education. To accomplish these research initiatives, we use combinations of anatomical, biomechanical, and in vivo experimental data collected using techniques borrowed from medicine, mechanical engineering, and art. Some techniques include, CT scanning, morphometric analysis, materials testing, 3D digital rendering, mechanical modeling, and high-speed videography.
Dr. Ramsay is also a trained biological illustrator and welcomes all individuals to the lab that have an interest in learning how to use art to promote science, and how to use science to enhance their artistic endeavors. Email jramsay@ric.edu
The Roberts Lab studies the cellular, molecular and evolutionary biology of plant cell walls and polysaccharide biosynthesis. In the moss Physcomitrella patens the lab has examined the formation of the plant cuticle, a thin waterproof wall covering that helps reduce desiccation in the aerial portions of plants, and the synthesis of cellulose, the major structural polysaccharide in plant cell walls. More recently, the Roberts Lab has been investigating the genes involved in cell wall synthesis in the marine green alga Derbesia tenuissima. The cell wall of this species contains a number of unusual structural polysaccharides that may help us to understand new aspects of wall biosynthesis. The lab also has an interest in microbial exopolysaccharide synthesis, such as the formation of mixed-linkage glucan in the Gram-positive bacterium Sarcina ventriculi. Email eroberts@ric.edu.
More than six million people suffer from a neurodegenerative disease (ND) for which there is no cure. The Stilwell Lab uses the powerful genetic model organism Drosophila melanogaster to study the consequences of mutations that cause various NDs, focusing on how mutations in the superoxide dismutase gene cause motor neuron cell death as a model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Mutations in superoxide dismutase were first discovered in the early 1990s, and we still do not understand how changes in this one gene can cause only certain cells to degenerate. The Stilwell Lab uses genetic engineering to create fly models, which replicate many features of the human disease, and uses genetic screening approaches to identify the molecular pathways leading to motor neuron death. Email gstilwell@ric.edu.
The Toorie Lab focuses on identifying neural and endocrine mechanisms that are disrupted under conditions of metabolic stress induced by exposure to obesogenic diets or substances of abuse. This lab examines the reward and homeostatic centers in the rodent brain to identify unique molecular targets associated with the development or progression of metabolic syndrome and substance abuse liability. Email atoorie@ric.edu.
