Student projects in ASET lab typically are in the context of environmental health and the impacts of toxins on animals, people, and the environment. Ongoing topics of interest include: fuel spills, harmful algal blooms, microplastics, tire wear particles, among others. LC/MS, ICP-MS, and NMR are used for identifying biomarkers of exposure, establishing metabolic phenotypes, and identifying detoxification timelines.

My lab’s research is in human disorders of copper metabolism and related studies. Copper is an essential micronutrient and serves as an enzyme cofactor in oxidation and reduction reactions. Since copper is an essential enzyme cofactor, yet toxic when in excess, mammals have developed complex physiological systems for regulating copper absorption, transport, storage, utilization and excretion. Research questions study mechanisms of copper toxicity in human genetic disorders as well as acquired copper deficiency and its impacts on human disease.

Our lab tackles real-world problems at the intersection of microbiology, ecosystem change, and infectious disease. Using next-generation genomic sequencing and computational tools, we investigate the complex microbial dynamics of Alaska's unique environments through a combination of fieldwork, molecular analysis, and bioinformatics. Our projects range from public health surveillance, such as tracking emerging pathogens like SARS-CoV-2, to critical environmental studies on the impact of permafrost thaw and the spread of antibiotic resistance in northern soils. Potential research projects in my lab include:

* Investigating the impact of permafrost thaw on the diversity and function of soil microbial communities.
* Characterizing the environmental reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes in boreal forest soils.
* Developing and applying novel bioinformatic pipelines for genomics-based biosurveillance.

My research is focused on applying biomolecular techniques to monitoring Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) species. Of particular interest is the marine species Alexandrium catenella; this species produces neurotoxic compounds that can accumulate in filter-feeding organisms such as clams and mussels. Human consumption of shellfish that contain HAB neurotoxins can cause incidents of paralytic shellfish poisoning, which has significant health implications in coastal communities with high levels of subsistence harvesting. In order to prevent poisoning incidents, communities often monitor local waters for the presence of Alexandrium and/or the accumulation of toxins in harvested shellfish species such as butter clams and cockles. For this research project, students will collect seawater and shellfish samples from beaches around Juneau. They will analyze seawater samples for the levels of Alexandrium as well as shellfish for the presence of toxic compounds. Students will learn to conduct sample analysis using key biomolecular methods such as qPCR and ELISA assays.

Research in my lab investigates how organisms adjust their physiology and biochemistry to cope with a changing environment. Much of our work is focused on fish but we also study the unique biology of hibernating animals to understand how they suppress their metabolism during winter when food is scarce. Potential research projects in my lab include:

• Investigating changes in metabolism in response to hypoxia in Antarctic fish
• Studying the signaling pathway mediating changes in metabolism in response to temperature in threespine stickleback
• Characterizing changes in mitochondrial function during hibernation in black bears

Research in my lab aims to better understand how some vertebrates, namely some fish and freshwater turtles, can live without oxygen for days to weeks. Research is primarily focused on how cardiovascular function and its regulation is altered by oxygen deprivation and acclimation temperature. My lab also employs physiological techniques to assesses the impacts of toxicants on aquatic organisms. Research projects in my lab could incorporate the measurement of:

• cardiac activity in a live animal
• cardiac muscle contractile properties
• blood vessel vasoactivity
• action potentials and ionic currents from tissues and/or isolated cells
• gene and protein expression
• maximum and resting metabolic rate
• temperature tolerance and preference
• behavioral responses to a toxicant or altered environmental condition

Our lab investigates the tumor microenvironment, a dynamic network of cancer cells, blood vessels, immune cells, signaling molecules, and the extracellular matrix, to develop innovative cancer prevention and treatment strategies. Our research focuses on myeloid cells, an immune cell that can promote cancer growth and spread. By employing techniques in immunology, molecular biology, nanomaterials, and murine cancer models, we explore novel therapeutic approaches to modify the tumor microenvironment.

• Reprogramming Immunosuppressive Myeloid Cells
• Characterizing Tumor-Associated Immune Cell Interactions
• Sex Differences in Immune Response to Cancer and Treatment