Meet the newest members of the Faculty of the School of Biological Sciences 2005-2006
John Avise
Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
John C. Avise received his BS in Natural Resources from the University of
Michigan, his MA in Zoology from the University of Texas, and his PhD in
Genetics from the University of California at Davis. In 1975 he joined the
faculty at the University of Georgia, where over a 30-year period he rose
through the ranks from Assistant Professor of Zoology to Distinguished
Professor of Genetics. He has been a member of the National Academy of
Sciences since 1991 and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
since 1994. He is also an elected Fellow of the American Ornithological
Union and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has
served on the Board on Biology of the National Research Council, and has been
the President of three professional societies: the American Genetic Association,
the Society for the Study of Evolution, and the Society for Molecular Biology
and Evolution.
John's career has been devoted to drawing connections between
genetics and natural history through the application of molecular
markers. He pioneered the use of mitochondrial DNA in evolutionary
studies, and more generally has played key roles in founding
and promoting the fields of molecular ecology and phylogeography.
Through his writings, he has also tried to communicate to
a general audience the wonders of nature and the relevance
of genetics to human affairs. John Avise has published more
than 260 research articles, and he has also authored eight
books including the following: Molecular Markers, Natural
History and Evolution; Phylogeography: The History and Formation
of Species; The Genetic Gods: Evolution and Belief in Human
Affairs; Genetics in the Wild; Captivating Life: A Naturalist
in the Age of Genetics; and The Hope, Hype, and Reality of
Genetic Engineering.
Peter Donovan Department of Developmental & Cell Biology andDepartment of Biological Chemistry
Co-Director, Stem Cell Program, University of California,
Irvine.
Dr. Peter Donovan’s laboratory pioneered the development
of pluripotent stem cells from primordial germ cells in mice
and, with Dr. John Gearhart of Johns Hopkins, developed the
same cell type from human germ cells.
His research interests center around the mechanisms regulating
developmental potency in germ cells and stem cells. His laboratory
was one of the first to receive NIH funding to study human
embryonic stem (ES) cells and he serves on one of only two
NIH study sections which reviews proposed studies on human
ES cells. He serves on the editorial boards of “Stem
Cells” and “Stem Cell Reviews” and is a
member of the steering committee of “The Hinxton Group”,
an international group of scientists, lawyers and ethicists
who consider the implications of international collaboration
in stem cell research.
Dr. Donovan also serves on the Advisory Board of the International
Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR).
John Guzowski received his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and
Biochemistry from UC Irvine. After postdoctoral research in
the neurobiology of learning and memory at UC Irvine and Johns
Hopkins University, Dr. Guzowski established an independent
NIH funded research program at the University of Arizona as
an Associate Research Scientist and subsequently as an Assistant
Professor at the University of New Mexico.
Dr. Guzowski's research investigates the role of gene expression,
induced by synaptic activity associated with learning, in
stabilizing neuronal networks subserving the encoding or consolidation
of long-term memories. This work provides insight into both
the molecular/cellular mechanisms and systems level interactions
involved in learning and the storage of memories in the rodent
brain.
Moreover, investigation into the precise regulation of transcription
of specific immediate-early genes has enabled a new molecular
imaging method that allows investigations into the computations
performed by neuronal ensembles in the intact, behaving animal-studies
that were once only tractable using in vivo electrophysiological
recording methods.
Matthew McHenry received his B.A. in Biology and Art at Vassar
College, completed his Ph.D. at U.C. Berkeley, and recently
finished his postdoctoral work at Harvard University and the
University of Groningen in the Netherlands. Throughout this
period, Matt has pursued an interest in biomechanics that
has primarily focused on understanding the swimming of aquatic
animals.
His research has investigated the structural mechanics and
hydrodynamics of swimming in fish, larval marine invertebrates,
and jellyfish using a combination of theoretical and experimental
methods. Matt is also interested in how biomechanics informs
behavioral, developmental, and evolutionary biology.
Marcelo A. Wood received his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from
Princeton University where he investigated the role of transcription
in cancer biology. Recently, he finished his postdoctoral
research at the University of Pennsylvania where examined
the role of transcription in memory storage.
Dr. Wood’s research is focused on understanding how
chromatin remodeling is involved in the transcriptional regulation
of genes required for learning, memory, and synaptic plasticity.
His laboratory uses molecular, behavioral, and neuropharmacological
approaches in genetically modified animals.
