2024 老虎机攻略 IoE Graduate Student Fellowship Awards
Leah Rensel
"Using Sin Nombre Virus in Deer Mice to Understand Disease Transmission"
Abstract: Transmission of wildlife diseases is challenging to study due to the difficulty of tracking infected individuals. Sin Nombre Virus (SNV), a hantavirus endemic to deer mice, offers an ideal opportunity to both quantify and manipulate the rates of contact between individual animals to understand SNV transmission. I propose to use proximity loggers to track deer mice in semi-natural enclosures to quantify contact rates; I will also manipulate the enclosures’ density and species diversity to see how competition might influence contact rates. As rodents are common pathogen reservoirs, my research will be applicable to managing both SNV and other host-pathogen systems.
Program of Study: Wildlife Biology; Advisor: Dr. Angie Luis; Thesis Topic: Investigation of Contact Rates in Deer Mice to Understand Sin Nombre Virus Transmission; Expected Graduation, Spring 2027.
John Statz
Causes, consequences, and regulation of Wolbachia tissue tropism across diverse Drosophila hosts
Abstract: Microbial endosymbiosis is widespread, profoundly impacting host and microbial biology at ecological and evolutionary time scales1-5. Vertically transmitted Wolbachia bacteria, prevalent in half of all insect species, exhibit diverse tissue distribution and abundance6-8. Little is known about the regulation of Wolbachia tissue tropism, its function, and its evolution. Using diverse Drosophila-Wolbachia systems, this study aims to explore Wolbachia tissue tropism, hypothesizing its adaptive nature and differential regulation across reproductive and somatic tissues.
Program of Study: Cellular, Molecular, and Microbial Biology Program; Advisor: Dr. Brandon Cooper; Thesis Topic: Causes and consequences of Wolbachia tissue tropism across diverse Drosophila hosts; Expected Graduation Spring 2025. Born and raised in Minnesota, Statz grew up in a bustling household with four siblings, where playing sports was a constant pastime. While he had an appreciation nature throughout his life, it wasn't until late in his undergraduate career that he fell in love with genetics, igniting a passion that has guided him ever since. Alongside his academic pursuits, he's been happily married for nearly three years and recently welcomed his first daughter, Eleanor, in April 2023. Outside of work and family life, he enjoys cooking, gardening, hiking, biking, and fishing.
"Rangeland soil seed bank dynamics: Understanding how soil properties and land management strategies influence seed bank suitability and pathways for ecosystem restoration"
Abstract: Soil seedbanks – the living seeds in the soil profile and on the soil surface – are important components of rangeland community ecology and assembly. Understanding seed-soil-plant relationships and interactions with ecological restoration treatments can help predict ecosystem vegetation trajectories to help invest resources strategically into rangelands for their restoration and conservation.