Faculty members in Dominican鈥檚 Natural Sciences and Mathematics department lead strong research programs in the fields of biology and chemistry. Students gain first-hand experience in our modern research labs, using state-of-the-art equipment and technology under the guidance of experienced mentors. Graduates are equipped with critical skills and expertise to succeed in the workplace.
Research Methodology Course Series Highlights
- Experienced, professional faculty
- Small lab sizes and student-centered learning
- Hands-on laboratory or field-based research
- Scientific writing and research pathways
- 7 units of research integrated into the major
- Present research at national, regional and/or Dominican鈥檚 Scholarly Research and Creative Works Conference
Undergraduate Research Topics at Dominican
Learn more about our faculty and current research projects below.
Coral Bleaching Prevention
Coral reefs are undoubtedly among the most threatened ecosystems in the world. Most studies predict that without increased conservation and restoration efforts a complete collapse may be only a couple of decades away. At the marine ecology lab we are working on a research project to help coral bleaching prevention. Coral bleaching is increasing dramatically global warming. Such episodes can cause massive mortality of corals and rapidly decimate reefs. It is critical to find ways to protect corals until the root causes of the problem, i.e. climate change, can be effectively addressed globally. In this project we will examine how a coral species respond to cumulative thermal stress, if decreasing light levels can help mitigate the effects of high temperature, and if so to what extent.
Led by Vania Coelho, PhD
Marine Mammal Conservation
Marine mammals are sentinels of ocean health. My research combines my interest in marine mammals and anatomy, by examining skulls from stranded marine mammals. I have started a new collaboration with California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, which has one of the largest marine mammal skull collections in the United States. We will examine skulls, primarily from California sea lions, to observe pathological abnormalities and trauma. Additionally, we will compare morphometrics among species, age classes and gender. Students will also learn about the process of preparing specimens. We will conduct beach surveys, collecting skulls from stranded marine mammals. We will prepare specimens both on campus and at Cal Academy. During BIO 2990, students will be introduced to this research project, by learning about comparative anatomy. They will explore morphometrics on DU's own specimen collection.
Led by Doreen Gurrola, MS
Amphibian Microbiota Research
My research focuses on characterizing variation in amphibian skin microbiotas and determining the effect differences in microbial community composition have on host phenotypes. I apply a combination of traditional microbiological techniques and high-throughput DNA sequencing of microbial and host samples to holistically describe host-microbe associations, evaluate changes in microbial communities over time, and describe the contribution of microbial symbionts to host physiological processes.
My research pushes forward the frontiers of amphibian microbiota research by combining host and microbiota investigations to understand the effects of habitat quality, immunogenetics, and disease on host-symbiont associations. By exploring the microbial communities of multiple amphibian species in the field and laboratory, I seek to generate a broad understanding of the interactions between amphibians and their microbiota. I use diverse approaches from targeted sequencing to metabolomics to identify individual, environmental, and regional factors that contribute to heterogeneity in amphibian cutaneous microbiotas and microbiome functions. My integrative systems approach has the potential to offer solutions to complex questions typical of host-associated microbiome research.
Environmental Impact on Intertidal Crabs
Our lab is investigating the effects of ocean acidification on intertidal crabs in Northern California. Animals will be collected in the field and maintained in the aquatic lab in the science center. Specifically, we are interested in the crab exoskeleton weight, size, and composition. An additional focus of our lab is education and civic outreach, therefore we will be presenting on environmental issues on campus and off campus too. NOTE: Due to the nature of this type of research, students need to work on weekends when an experiment is in progress.
Led by Diara Spain, PhD
Invasive Plant Pathogen Research
We study diseases of ornamental and forest plants, especially those caused by invasive pathogens, such as Phytophthora ramorum, the causal agent of Sudden Oak Death. Invasive plant diseases can lead to widespread damage and death of native trees and cause devastating impacts on whole ecosystems. Our main focus is applied research, such as validation and development of best management practices (BMPs); development of remediation options for soil, water, and infested plants; and development of monitoring and control strategies. Our unique research nursery can be used by research partners from other universities and research centers. We share our research results with the public through a strong outreach program, as well as through scientific and technical publications.
Led by Wolfgang Schweigkofler, PhD
Neuronal Development
Our research investigates the expression of neuroreceptors in differentiating neurons derived from mouse embryonic stem cells. The goal of these studies is to identify receptors that play an important role in the process of neuronal development. Students will begin by learning the basic cell culture techniques and differentiation protocols used in the laboratory. Once these skills are demonstrated, they can begin to participate in experiments utilizing tools such as fluorescence microscopy for imaging cells and RT-PCR of cell extracts to measure in gene expression via mRNA.
Malaria Prevention and Treatment
Malaria is a parasitic infectious disease spread by mosquitoes. There are five species of malaria that infect humans, but only Plasmodium falciparum kills people, and accounts for about 50% of the roughly 250 million annual cases. Malaria parasites infect the red blood cells and are carried from person to person by female Anopheles mosquitoes. Malaria mostly occurs in the tropical regions of the world, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. About 450,000 children die of malaria every year. Although there are safe and effective drugs available, getting these to the people of Africa in an affordable manner is a great challenge. Additionally, artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs), which are the current worldwide mainstay for malaria treatment, are threatened by resistance. Drug resistance and lack of a vaccine complicate efforts to control malaria. My research at Dominican and in Uganda is focused on how drug resistance evolves in malaria parasites, as well as how we can make affordable drugs to overcome resistance. Specifically, our project will focus on how doxycycline, an important drug in preventing malaria, works against the Plasmodium parasite.
Crustacean Evolution
The goal of our work is to understand how and why unique characteristics such as eye loss, pigment loss, and appendage length gain have evolved in cave crustaceans. We will specifically look at the genetics and developmental biology of these characteristics and will achieve a better understanding of the mechanisms of evolution and also hope to develop this species as a medically useful model for understanding eye and pigment degeneration. Specific projects include: 1) comparing embryological development between cave and surface populations to discover when eye loss, pigment loss, and appendage gain come about. 2) Analyzing RNA sequence data from embryological samples to find mutations and genes responsible for eye and pigment loss. 3) Examining multiple cave populations and seeing whether the same or different genetic regions are responsible for the evolution of similar phenotypes.
Led by Meredith Protas, PhD
Investigate Molecular Mechanisms
Our laboratory investigates molecular mechanisms contributing to neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson鈥檚 disease (PD), which encompass devastating conditions characterized by the progressive loss and impaired function of neural cells. Despite major efforts, the aetiology of PD remains unclear. However, environmental toxins, such as pesticides, herbicides, industrial chemicals, and known hereditary genetic risk factors, contribute to the development of PD. PTEN-induced kinase1 (PINK1) and Parkin (PARK2) are some of the known hereditary genes that cause PD if mutated. These proteins are involved in different molecular mechanisms, such as the ubiquitin-proteosome system, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial function. Our focus is to understand the correlation between stressed mitochondria and Parkinson risk factor genes, such as PINK1 and Parkin, in neuronal stem cells and dopaminergic neurons.
Led by Renuka Sivapatham, PhD
Effects of Invasive Pathogens on Ecosystems
We study diseases of ornamental and forest plants, especially those caused by invasive pathogens, such as Phytophthora ramorum, the causal agent of Sudden Oak Death. Invasive plant diseases can lead to widespread damage and death of native trees and cause devastating impacts on whole ecosystems. Our main focus is applied research, such as validation and development of best management practices (BMPs); development of remediation options for soil, water, and infested plants; and development of monitoring and control strategies. Our unique research nursery can be used by research partners from other universities and research centers. We share our research results with the public through a strong outreach program, as well as through scientific and technical publications.
Led by Wolfgang Schweigkofler, PhD
Chemistry of Natural Marine Products
The long range goal of our laboratory is to isolate and characterize natural products from terrestrial and marine derived extracts provided by the National Cancer Institute and prepare them to be screened as libraries of pure compounds against new disease targets to search for: a) therapeutic lead structures in biomedical research and or b) novel molecular probes in chemical biology.
Led by Tyler Johnson, PhD
Aerosol Effects on Radical Species
My group studies and characterizes wildfire aerosols and sea spray aerosols. Among many species in the aerosols, radicals are my primary concern. Radicals that are formed from organic precursors (e.g. amino acids) in sea spray aerosols and from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g. pesticides) in wildfire aerosols are investigated. Formation and their degradation pathway of the radical species are studied using spectroscopic tools in conjunction with aerosol techniques. Addition to the laboratory projects, air quality in the field (e.g. water treatment facility) is also studied in order to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of aerosol particles on our local air quality.
Led by Christine Koh, PhD
Statistical Study for Proper Recycling and Composting
We will be doing a statistical study to understand the most effective methods to increase proper recycling and compost sorting. We will be using AI models to help collect and quantify data - no coding or previous knowledge required! If you want a project with real-world impact that applies transferable skills such as statistical methods, basic modeling, and hands-on data collection, this project is for you. Knowing what can be recycled can be confusing. We will compare three groups - one group without recent reference material on recycling policies, one with a typical flier on proper sorting best practices, and one with individualized feedback on what they are recycling properly and what is not. Depending on student interest and data collection opportunities, we may also compare the effect of offering a cash incentive for proper sorting, requiring a financial penalty for improper sorting, or not penalizing.
Led by Christine Hoffman, PhD
Environmental Changes and Human Population
Changes to the environment, driven in large part by human activities, can
significantly impact human health in ways that are both obvious and obscure. Dr. Bayles oversees the 鈥楽pace Lab鈥, dedicated to quantifying the impacts of global environmental change on human populations with a particular focus on emerging infectious disease. We utilize a multidisciplinary approach, leveraging geographic information systems (GIS), multivariate modeling, and spatial epidemiological methods. Recent Space Lab projects have included: 1) wildlife conservation and human development in Kenya; 2) deforestation in Costa Rica and the rise of Zika and Dengue fever; 3) biological invasions; 4) West Nile Virus emergence in California. Future projects are being planned to include: pandemic prevention; environmental justice, social inequality, and climate change vulnerability.
Led by Brett Bayles, PhD, MPH
Community Public Health Needs
Our research is focused on the current public health needs of the community. We have partnered with community based organizations like Center for Domestic Peace, The Ritter Center, Play Marin and Marin Health and Human Services. We use both quantitative and qualitative methods to better understand health and well-being in human subjects. Students in this lab will learn to conduct a research study from beginning to end - developing a research question of interest, composing an IRB application, using different study design methods, collecting data from surveys or interviews, analyzing data using analytic programs such as SPSS or Dedoose, and composing a publishable manuscript. Research topics change from year to year, but the strength of our methodologies remain the same.
Led by Michaela George, PhD, MPH
