Faculty and Staff Directory

Chandrashekhar Joshi
"Cellulose is the fiber of human civilization."
  • Department Chair and Professor, Biological Sciences
  • Affiliated Professor, CFRES

Research Interests: Biological Sciences

  • Plant Molecular Genetics

Areas of Expertise: Biology and Forestry

  • Cellulose and lignin biosynthesis in trees
  • Wood formation
  • Tree growth and development
  • Engineering trees
  • Forest bioinformatics/computational biology
Tori Connors

Tori Connors

  • Department Coordinator
Claire Danielson
"70% of today’s medical decisions depend on laboratory test results, showing the important role of clinical laboratories in today’s healthcare system"
—Centers for Disease Control, cdc.gov
  • Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) Program Director
  • Assistant Teaching Professor
  • MLS Academic Advisor

Teaching Interests

  • Immunohematology
  • Medical Bacteriology
  • Phlebotomy 
  • Professor, Biological Sciences

Specialties

  • Plant Biochemistry
  • Environmental Remediation
  • Plant-Microbe Interactions
  • Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences

Areas of Expertise

  • Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry
  • Genomics / Bioinformatics

Research Interests

  • Developmental Biology
  • Transcriptional Biology
  • Cancer Biology
  • Professor, Biological Sciences
  • Director, Chemical Advanced Resolution Methods Laboratory

Research Interests

  • Algal Extracellular Polymers and Biocomposites - Regulation of Biogenesis
  • Associate Professor, Biological Sciences

Current Research Interests

  • Plant Evolutionary Ecology
  • Ecological and Community Genetics
  • Genome Size and Polyploidy Evolution
  • Invasive Species Biology and Integrated Socio-Environmental Systems
  • Professor, Biological Sciences

Research Expertise

  • Ecology of lakes, streams, and their riparian interface with terrestrial systems
  • Fish ecology, biology, functional morphology
  • effects of land use on ecological systems
  • Biomonitoring for research and restoration
  • Effects of Invasive Species
Prajakta Kokate

Prajakta Kokate

  • Postdoctoral Scholar, Biological Sciences

Research Interests

  • Evolution
  • Genetics
  • Microbial Ecology

Education

  • BS (Microbiology, University of Mumbai, India)
  • MS (Applied Biology,  University of Mumbai, India)
  • PhD (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan Technological University)
Skylar Lapine

Skylar Lapine

  • Administrative Aide
  • Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences
Sarah LewAllen

Sarah LewAllen

  • MLS Program Coordinator
  • Professor, Biological Sciences
  • Director, Ecosystem Science Center
  • Director, Aquatic Analysis (AQUA) Shared Facility

Research Interests

  • Limnology
  • Ecosystem Ecology of Streams and Rivers
  • Biogeochemistry
  • Associate Teaching Professor, Biological Sciences

Teaching Interests

  • Clinical Lab Techniques
  • Clinical Immunology and Serology
  • Human Anatomy and Physiology
  • Human Nutrition
  • Parasitology
  • Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences

Research Interests

  • Community Ecology
  • Trophic Interactions
  • Marine Ecology
  • Ecogeochemical Tracer Techniques
  • Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences

Areas of Expertise

  • Legacy and emerging pollutants
  • Ecotoxicology
  • Great Lakes fisheries
  • Multiple stressors
  • Fisheries bioenergetics

Research Interests

  • Using pollutants as ecological tracers
  • Overwintering bioaccumulation and bioamplification
  • Energy dynamics in Great Lakes food-webs
  • Energetic costs of multiple stressors
Lindsay Putman

Lindsay Putman

  • Postdoctoral Scholar, Biological Sciences

Research Interests

  • Biogeochemistry
  • Geomicrobiology
  • Microbial Ecology
  • Community Assembly
  • Disturbance Ecology

Education

  • BS, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan
  • PhD, Environmental Geosciences and Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University
John Romanowski Jr

John J Romanowski Jr

  • Laboratory Supervisor
  • Associate Professor, Biological Sciences

Research Interests

  • Diabetes
  • Obesity
  • Insulin Production, Secretion, and Signaling
  • microRNA and Human Diseases (Diabetes, Cancers, etc.)
  • microRNA Technologies for Plants and Animals: Small Tandem Target Mimic (STTM) and MicroRNA Array
  • Professor, Biological Sciences

Specialties

  • Gene Silencing
  • RNA Interference (RNAi)
  • MicroRNA (miRNA) and miRNA Eveolution
  • RNA Silencing in Plant Germ Extract and Drosophila Embryo Lysate.
  • Fungal RNAi and microRNA
  • MicroRNA Technologies: Small Tandem Target mimic (STTM) and MicroRNA Array
  • Plant Electrophysiology in Plant microRNA STTM lines and Venus flytrap.
  • Wild Blueberry Improvement
  • Assistant Professor
  • Dept. of Biological Sciences

Research Interests

  • Cancer Genetics and Metabolism
  • Mechanisms of Cancer Initiation and Progression
  • Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics
  • Interactions of Diet and Nutrition with Cancer
  • Associate Professor, Biological Sciences

Research Interests

  • Environmental Microbiology
  • Next-generation sequencing technology and bioinformatics/computational biology
  • Microbial physiology and biochemistry
  • Microbes as sensors for the environmental impacts of oil and gas production
  • Microbially-mediated remediation of crude oil contamination
  • Sustainability and plastic biodegradation
Dave Toczydlowski

Dave Toczydlowski

  • Research Engineer/Scientist, Biological Sciences
  • Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences

Research Interests

  • Microbial Ecology
  • Biogeochemistry
  • Limnology
  • Cryosphere 
  • Associate Professor, Biological Sciences

Links of Interest

Research Interests

  • Evolution
  • Genetics
  • Toxicology
  • Developmental Biology
Lucille Zelazny

Lucille Zelazny

  • Research Assistant, Biological Sciences
  • Research Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences