Dr. Walser-Kuntz is an immunologist, is interested in the role the immune system plays in the development of autoimmune disorders and the potential impact on this process of environmental contaminants. We are testing how a common plastic component, bisphenol A, affects immune cell activation and cytokine responses. She teaches Immunology, Microbiology, part of Introductory Biology, a seminar on Topics in Virology and Methods of Teaching Science.  Dr. Walser-Kuntz is Chair of the Department.

Dr. Bosacker is a zoologist, and her primary research interest is in the social behavior of primates. She studies a population of baboons living in Gombe National Park, Tanzania. She is particularly interested in how social circumstances influence an individual’s exposure to stress and how the negative effects of stress might influence the evolution of social behaviors. Dr. Bosacker is currently acting as the director of Carleton’s Coastal Marine Ecology program in Australia.

Ms. Deel is trained as an invertebrate zoologist, is interested in methods of teaching college-level introductory biology, especially those methods which encourage traditionally underrepresented groups, such as women and minorities, to continue in biology. At Carleton, she has been involved with laboratory sections of Intro Biology, Animal Physiology, and Genetics. Currently she is developing, preparing, and teaching labs for Intro Biology I: Energetics and Genetics (Biol 125). The physiology research programs she has been involved with cover a wide variety of marine invertebrates such as clams, scallops, mussels, cuttlefish, squid, octopus, and sea slugs.

Dr. Hougen-Eitzman is trained as a population geneticist and ecologist, studies ecological interaction within agricultural ecosystems. In particular, he is interested in developing biological solutions to problems that have usually been attacked with herbicides and pesticides. He teaches laboratories for the Introductory courses, Entomology, and a seminar on Sustainable Agriculture.

Dr. Henderson is a biochemist and structural biologist. Specifically, she studies cancer-causing proteins that arise from inadvertently fused genes. To understand how the expression of these protein chimeras leads to cancer, a goal of student research in her laboratory is to characterize the structure and function of relevant cellular proteins alone and within the context of the oncogenic protein chimera. Dr. Henderson teaches Biochemistry laboratory, Methods in Molecular Biophysics, Molecular Mechanisms in Drug Action, and part of the introductory Biology sequence, Energy Flow in Biological Systems.

Dr. Hernandez is an ecosystem ecologist researching the effects of disturbance on carbon and nutrient cycling in savannas and grasslands. Currently, his lab is exploring the community and ecosystem consequences of nitrogen deposition and cattle grazing on serpentine grasslands in California. He teaches Ecosystems Ecology, Global Change Biology, part of Introductory Biology, and a seminar on Grassland Ecology.

Dr. Jaramillo is a neurobiologist interested in sensory systems. His work focuses on the hair cell, the mechanosensory receptor of the auditory, vestibular, and lateral line systems. Current research interests include the study of mechanoelectrical transduction, molecular motors in the hair cell, the role of noise in sensory processing, and the physiology of synaptic transmission. He teaches Neurobiology, Cell Biology, and part of Introductory Biology.

Dr. McKone is an evolutionary ecologist, pursues research on the interactions between insects and plants. Particular interests include the pollinator community of prairie composites and the evolutionary impact of pre-dispersal seed predators of grasses. He teaches Evolution, Population Ecology, Tropical Rainforest Ecology, and part of Introductory Biology.

Dr. Mitra is a molecular and cellular biologist interested in the interactions between plants and microbes. Her lab studies bacterial pathogens of plant roots with the goal of understanding disease development and plant defense. Current lab projects involve elucidating the role of bacterial effector proteins in pathogenesis of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Dr. Mitra teaches courses in Microbial Pathology, Cell Biology, and part of Introductory Biology.

Dr. Rand is a vertebrate reproductive biologist, studies the hormonal mediation and function of sexually dimorphic traits. Currently he uses lizards as a model system to understand neural differences that influence male and female reproductive behavior. He teaches Animal Physiology, Animal Behavior, a seminar on Behavioral Genetics, part of Introductory Biology and a seminar that explores the biological basis of human nature and sexuality and its impact on science.

Dr. Singer is a plant developmental biologist, is taking a developmental genetics approach to the study of flowering in pea. Floral mutants are being characterized and genetic interactions between mutants are under investigation to elucidate the roles of different genes in the regulation of inflorescence architecture. Specific interests include the evolution of floral developmental pathways. She teaches Plant Biology, Plant Development, Developmental Genetics, and part of Introductory Biology.

Dr. Tymoczko is a biochemist, teaches Biochemistry, Oncogenes and Molecular Biology of Cancer, part of Introductory Biology, and a seminar on Exercise Biochemistry. He has recently co-authored the 5th edition of Stryer's Biochemistry, and is currently writing an introductory level biochemistry text. His research interests are in the area of signal transduction.

Dr. Zweifel is a geneticist and molecular biologist, is examining the replication and segregation of mitochrondrial DNA in the yeast S. cerevisiae. His lab is interested in identifying and characterizing the nuclear genes responsible for the proper transmission of the mitochondrial genome. He teaches Genetics, Molecular Biology, part of Introductory Biology, and a seminar on Human Genetics.

Dr. Guerrier received his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from North Carolina-Chapel Hill, while studying the cell migration of neurons that make up the cerebral cortex. For his post doctoral work he returned to the Mayo Clinic where he studied how Natural Killer Cells secrete toxic balls called granules into cancer cells in order to make them commit suicide. He is really fascinated by cell biology, in particular how membranes in the cell are shaped and is using a organism called Tetrahymena to study this problem.

Dr. Moore is a neurobiologist interested in chronic neuroinflammation. To understand the contribution of the inflammatory process to pathology and cognitive deficits associated with normal aging and Alzheimer’s disease, her research focuses on the physiological and behavioral consequences of interleukin (IL)-1 infusion and IL-1 transgene overexpression in mouse brain. Current research interests include investigating the interaction of cyclooxgenase, the principal target of non-steriodal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and circulating sex steroid hormones in normal mnemonic behavior and associated neurochemistry. 

Dr. Wagenbach is trained as an invertebrate zoologist and parasitologist, is examining the population biology of freshwater mussels in regional rivers. The general goal of his research is to better understand the conservation of rare and endangered species. He taught Biology of the Invertebrate Animals, Marine Biology, Aquatic Biology, environmental studies courses, and a seminar on parasitism. He served as Director of
Environmental and Technology Studies.

Lorie earned her Bachelor's degree at Concordia University (St. Paul), in Organizational Management and Communications. She brings a wealth of training in human resources, along with 10 years experience in the legal field. She has served on numerous College committees through the years, as well as being an avid volunteer in the community and county.  Lorie fields department and campus questions for students, staff, faculty and visitors.

Alison Unger (BA, Carleton; MA, Washington University in Saint Louis) is trained as a biochemist and molecular/cell biologist. She oversees the Biology Stockroom, and, in general, the Biology teaching laboratories.