Biology Faculty

	Mikus Abolins-Abols Assistant Professor Email Dr. Abolins-Abols Education: Ph.D., Indiana University, 2017 Research Interests: Physiological and behavioral ecology; neuroendocrinology; mechanisms of maternal behavior and stress; developmental biology of feathers More about Dr. Abolins-Abols
	Natalie Christian Assistant Professor (502) 852-3727 Email Dr. Christian Education: Ph.D., Indiana University, 2017 Research Interests: Microbial ecology; community ecology; symbiosis; foliar endophytic fungi; scholarship of teaching and learning (SOTL) More about Dr. Christian
	Cindy Corbitt Professor (502) 852-3915 Email Dr. Corbitt Education: Ph.D., University of Alaska, Fairbanks, 1997 Research Interests: Behavioral neuroendocrinology; environmental signaling and the central nervous system More about Dr. Corbitt
	Rafael Sênos Demarco Assistant Professor Email Dr. Demarco Education: Ph.D., University of Kansas, 2011 Research Interests: Stem cell biology; metabolism; lipids; signaling pathways; molecular biology; Drosophila genetics More about Dr. Demarco
	Lee Dugatkin Professor and Distinguished University Scholar (502) 852-5943 Email Dr. Dugatkin Education: Ph.D., State University of New York, Binghamton,1991 Research Interests: History of science; behavioral and evolutionary ecology; evolution of cooperative and altruistic behavior; cultural transmission in nonhumans More about Dr. Dugatkin
	Perri Eason Professor Email Dr. Eason Education: Ph.D., University of California, Davis, 1991 Research interests: Behavioral ecology and conservation biology of terrestrial vertebrates and insects More about Dr. Eason
	Sarah Emery Professor and Director of Graduate Studies (502) 852-5940 Email Dr. Emery Education: Ph.D., Michigan State University, 2005 Research Interests: Plant ecology; biodiversity; succession; restoration; plant-fungus interactions; plant-insect interactions; invasive species; sand dune biology More about Dr. Emery
	Paul Ewald Professor Email Dr. Ewald Education: Ph.D., University of Washington, 1980 Research Interests: Evolutionary ecology of parasitism; evolutionary medicine; agonistic behavior; pollination biology
	Sarah Fauque Asst. Professor Email Dr. Fauque Education: Ph.D., University of Louisville, 2015. Teaching interests: Introductory biology for majors and non-majors, animal behavior, ecology, evolution, and scientific communication. Research interests: Behavioral ecology; signaling behavior and mate choice; discipline-based educational research.
	Linda Fuselier Professor and Chair of the Biology Department Email Dr. Fuselier Education: Ph.D., University of Kentucky, 2004 Research interests: Postsecondary Biology Education – I am interested in the intersection of science education with science studies and inclusivity in the classroom and laboratory. My background is in evolutionary biology, fish biology and plant ecology. Although my research has turned toward biology education, all of my work is informed by content knowledge in biology, making my research “discipline-based education research” (DBER). More about Dr. Fuselier
	Paul R. Himes Assistant Professor Email Dr. Himes Education: Ph.D., Michigan State University, 2009 Research Interests: Microbiology; molecular genetics More about Dr. Himes
	Rachel Hopp Associate Professor, Term Email Dr. Hopp Education: Ph.D., University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 1999 Research Interests: Molecular regulation of apoptosis in photoreceptors; retinitis pigmentosa and retinoblastoma; effective teaching methods for student success in anatomy and physiology
	Dae-Sung Hwangbo Assistant Professor Email Dr. Hwangbo Education: Ph.D., University of Rochester, 2012 Research Interests: 1) Molecular genetics and neuronal circuits of circadian rhythms, sleep, and feeding behavior in Drosophila; 2) Molecular genetics of aging and cell death in Drosophila; 3) Development of Drosophila models of human diseases (such as Prader-Willi syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease) More about Dr. Hwangbo
	Matt Kolmann Assistant Professor Email Dr. Kolmann Education: Ph.D., University of Toronto, 2016 Research Interests: Evolutionary ecology; functional morphology; biomechanics; comparative vertebrate anatomy; ichthyology (fish biology); phylogenetic systematics and phylogenetic comparative methods More about Dr. Kolmann
	Alycia CR Lackey Assistant Professor Email Dr. Lackey Education: Ph.D., Michigan State University, 2013 Research Interests: Evolutionary and behavioral ecology; speciation; life history; sexual selection and mating interactions; response to rapid environmental change; biostatistics More about Dr. Lackey
	Jennifer Mansfield-Jones Associate Professor Email Dr. Mansfield-Jones Education: Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1995 Research Interests: Digestive energetics as related to parasitic infections More about Dr. Mansfield-Jones
	Jeffery A. Masters Assistant Professor, Term Email Dr. Masters Office: LF 139C Education: Ph.D., University of Louisville, 2014 Research Interests: Impacts of disturbance and invasive species on native plant/arthropod interactions; rare plant reproductive biology
	Andrew Mehring Assistant Professor Email Dr. Mehring Education: Ph.D., University of Georgia, 2012 Research Interests: Ecosystem ecology; urban ecology; animal effects on greenhouse gas flux; limnology; biogeochemistry; green infrastructure; stream restoration; stormwater management; global change More about Dr. Mehring
	Michael A. Menze Professor and Associate Dean, Research and Innovation Email Dr. Menze Education: Ph.D. [Dr. rer. nat.], University of Dusseldorf and University of Mainz, 2001 Research Interests: Molecular physiology; mitochondrial bioenergetics; cryobiology, and animal stress biology More about Dr. Menze’s research
	Rachel Neal Associate Professor Email Dr. Neal Education: Ph.D., Missouri University of Science and Technology, 1999 Research Interests: Toxicology in during mammalian development, particularly the impact of legal substance use during pregnancy More about Dr. Neal’s research
	Michael Perlin Professor Email Dr. Perlin Education: Ph.D., University of Chicago,1983 Research Interests: Molecular genetics; structure and function of the gene; molecular biology of drug action; gene mapping and splicing, fungal phytopathogens, host/pathogen interaction More about Dr. Perlin
	Rachel Pigg Assistant Professor Email Dr. Pigg Education: Ph.D., Kansas State University, 2014 Research Interests: Wildlife ecology and management; vector-borne disease ecology and control; discipline-based education research
	Shira Rabin Part-Time Lecturer Email Dr. Rabin Education: Ph.D., Northwestern University, 2005 Research Interests: Bacterial pathogenesis; toxin biology; host/pathogen interactions; science education and pedagogy More about Dr. Rabin
	Kat Ray King, PhD Assistant Professor Email Dr. Kat Ray King Dr. Kat Ray King graduated from the University of Louisville with a PhD in 2020, an M.S. in 2018, and a B.S. in Biology. They were a 2019 S.K. Abell Fellow, an award for doctoral students pursuing research in discipline-based education research. Their research focuses on the ways that social influences manifest in college learning environments, and how these can impact student learning. Dr. King has broad teaching experience, with expertise in introductory biology, anatomy/physiology, vertebrate nutrition, and cellular/molecular biology.
	Mark Running Professor Email Dr. Running Education: Ph.D., California Institute of Technology, 1997 Research Interests: Plant genetics and development; drought tolerance; biofuels More about Dr. Running
	David J. Schultz Professor and Interim Senior Associate Dean for Finance & Strategy Education: Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University, 1996 Research Interests: Molecular genetics, biotechnology, and biochemistry; production of unusual lipids and secondary metabolites in plants; trichome mediated pest resistance in Pelargonium xhortorum (geranium) More about Dr. Schultz
	Samiyyah Sledge Assistant Professor Education: Ph.D., University of Louisville School of Medicine, 2021 Research Interests: Physiology; Cellular and Molecular Biology; Biophysics; Chronic Diseases; Mechanisms of Dry Eye Disease; Ophthalmic Conditions and Diseases; Phospholipids’ Role in Disease; Pathophysiology of Cancer; Biological and Health Sciences Program Development and Recruitment; Retention Practices, Teaching and Success Strategies for Science Majors; and Race in Science.
	Allison Smith Part-Time Lecturer (502) 852-6771 Email Dr. Smith Education: Ph.D. University of Louisville, 2012 Research interests: Environmental justice; brownfields; environmental policy
	Joseph M. Steffen Professor Education: Ph.D., University of New Mexico, 1980 Research Interests: Cellular and molecular physiology; environmental physiology; endocrine and growth factor effects on muscle
	Sanaya K. Stocke Assistant Professor Email Dr. Stocke Education: Ph.D., University of Louisville, 2016 Research Interests: Neurobiology, taste electrophysiology, optogenetics, neuroendocrinology; effects of peripheral hormones on taste and flavor processing in the brain, teaching pedagogy.
	Zeinab Torky Professor Email Dr. Torky Education: PhD Microbiology, 2004 Department of Microbiology, Ain Shams University, Egypt MS Microbiology, 2000 Department of Microbiology, Ain Shams University, Egypt BS Microbiology/Chemistry, 1993 Department of Microbiology, Ain Shams University, Egypt Research Interests: Finding natural antiviral therapeutics to viruses. Microbe-Host interaction, Enhancing the immune system using antioxidants and Ribosome inactivating proteins to fight viruses like Herpes as well as disease control of economically important crops using non-costly, environmentally and human non-harmful methods via finding natural antimicrobial compounds form wild or less economically valued plants and use it to inhibit microbes that cause crop losses like Tobacco mosaic/necrosis viruses and getting rid of pesticides that affect humans consuming these crops as main dietary. Studying ways to use viruses that are non-harmful to human against human cancer cell lines in-vitro.
	Micah Worley Associate Professor Email Dr. Worley Education: Ph.D., Oregon Health Sciences University, 2000 Research Interests: Microbiology of intracellular pathogens and pathogen manipulation of host cells More about Dr. Worley
	Stephen P. Yanoviak Professor & Tom Wallace Endowed Chair of Conservation Email Dr. Yanoviak Education: Ph.D., University of Oklahoma, 1999 Research Interests: Tropical arthropod ecology, behavior and conservation More about Dr. Yanoviak
	Deborah R. Yoder-Himes Associate Professor and Assistant Chair Email Dr. Yoder-Himes Education: Ph.D. Michigan State University, 2005 Research Interests: Microbiology and molecular genetics; bacterial pathogenesis; transmission of opportunistic pathogens; the role of bacterial pathogens in the environment; and the evolution of pathogenesis. More about Dr. Yoder-Himes

Department of Biology

Mikus Abolins-Abols

Natalie Christian

Cindy Corbitt

Rafael Sênos Demarco

Lee Dugatkin

Perri Eason

Sarah Emery

Paul Ewald

Sarah Fauque

Linda Fuselier

Paul R. Himes

Rachel Hopp

Dae-Sung Hwangbo

Matt Kolmann

Alycia CR Lackey

Jennifer Mansfield-Jones

Jeffery A. Masters

Andrew Mehring

Michael A. Menze

Rachel Neal

Michael Perlin

Rachel Pigg

Shira Rabin

Kat Ray King, PhD

Mark Running

David J. Schultz

Samiyyah Sledge

Allison Smith

Joseph M. Steffen

Sanaya K. Stocke

Zeinab Torky

Micah Worley

Stephen P. Yanoviak

Deborah R. Yoder-Himes