Faculty Research Interests

Graduate Program in Biological Sciences

Albert G. Abbott, Professor; Ph.D., Brown University, 1980. Research interests involve structural and functional genomic approaches to understanding gene and genome structure and evolution in eukaryotic organisms. Genetic engineering of biobased materials. (E-mail: aalbert@clemson.edu)

Lisa J. Bain, Associate Professor, Ph.D., North Carolina State University, 1997. Mechanisms of adaptation to toxicants; active transporters involved in drug and toxicant elimination; adaptation via cellular, biochemical, and molecular changes in fish exposed to environmental toxicants (Email: lbain@clemson.edu)

Robert E. Ballard, Professor; Ph.D., University of Iowa, 1975. Biosystematics and chemotaxonomy of flowering plants. (E-mail: ballard@clemson.edu)

Richard W. Blob, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., University of Chicago, 1998. Biomechanics and the evolution of animal function; animal locomotion; comparative vertebrate anatomy, physiology, and functional morphology; herpetology; vertebrate paleontology. (E-mail: rblob@clemson.edu)

Susan C. Chapman, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., King's College London, 2002. Developmental biology and embryology; vertebrate development of hearing apparatus, with emphasis on the initiation and patterning of the middle ear; identification of inductive tissue and molecular interactions in avian and mammalian model systems; the role of the endoderm in early
>embryonic development (E-mail: schapm2@clemson.edu)

Michael J. Childress, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., Florida State University, 1995. Behavioral ecology, marine ecology, comparative sociobiology, invertebrate zoology, animal behavior, communication, evolutionary biology. (http://www.clemson.edu/~mchildr/ E-mail: mchildr@clemson.edu)

James M. Colacino , Associate Professor, Ph.D., State University of New York, 1973. Comparative respiratory and circulatory physiology; Invertebrate hemoglobin function. Mathematical models of physiological systems. (E-mail: jmclc@clemson.edu)

Saara J. DeWalt, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., Louisiana State University, 2003. Population ecology and genetics of invasive plants; community ecology of woody plants with emphasis on lianas (woody vines); tropical ecology. (E-mail: saarad@clemson.edu)

Yuqing Dong, Assistant Professor, Ph.D. Peking University (China), 1999. Molecular mechanism of life span regulation in C.elegans",(E-mail:ydong@clemson.edu)

Gene W. Eidson, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Ph.D., Clemson University, 1990. Use of constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment; ecological restoration of wetlands, swamps, bottomland hardwood forests, and sandhill streams; and remediation of pit lakes. (E-mail: scientryst@aol.com)

Linda J. Gahan, Research Associate Professor, Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1968. Understanding the mechanisms of Bt resistance in Lepidoptera (moths), most specifically the tobacco budworm, which is an agricultural pest of cotton, tobacco, tomatoes and other crops. Bt is a naturally occurring pesticide produced by the bacterium, Bacillus thuringensis, and it is used to control insect pests of important agricultural crops. (E-mail: glinda@clemson.edu)

Vincent S. Gallicchio, Associate Vice President for Research and Professor, Ph.D., New York University, 1976. Research interests include experimental drug therapeutics for AIDS and cancer with a focus on compounds that inhibit ribonucleotide reductase and anti-oxidants derived from natural food products; the non-psychiatric clinical uses of lithium, in particular for Alzheimer's disease and viral-induced pathogens; experimental hematopoiesis, with a particular interest in stem cell biology and the role of the stroma/microenvironment in these processes; international education pertaining to biomedical laboratory science. (Email: vsgall@clemson.edu)

John J. Hains, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Clemson University, 1987. Limnology, aquatic biology and ecology, river, lake and reservoir ecosystems, watershed processes. (E-mail: jhains@clemson.edu

Timothy E. Higham, Assistant Professor, Ph.D. University of California, Davis, 2006. Comparative skeletal muscle physiology; muscle fatigue; biomechanics, functional morphology and the evolution of feeding and locomotion; hydrodynamics of suction feeding in fishes; lizard locomotion. (E-mail: thigham@clemson.edu )

Kalan L. Ickes, Research Assistant Professor, Ph.D. Louisiana State University, 2001. Rain forest community ecology on the island of Dominica in the Lesser Antilles. Investigation of tree and liana community structure, habitat quality and quantity for two endemic parrot species, and forest regeneration after damage by hurricanes. (E-mail: kickes@clemson.edu)

Patrick G. Jodice, Co-Leader of the South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; Assistant Professor, Ph.D. Oregon State University, 1999. Research interests in the fields of wildlife ecology, conservation biology, physiological ecology, and ornithology. Current research focuses on ecological energetics, foraging ecology, diet and nutrition, and avian diving behavior. ( http://people.clemson.edu/~pjodice/ E-mail: pjodice@clemson.edu)

Stephen J. Klaine, Professor, Ph.D. Rice University, 1982. Environmental toxicology, toxicant effects on fish, aquatic invertebrates, plants and algae; toxicity of metals and pesticides; develop strategies that facilitate the coexistence of economically sound land use with good environmental quality. (E-mail: sklaine@clemson.edu)

Peter B. Marko, Assistant Professor, Ph.D. University of California- Davis, 1997. Molecular population biology, biogeography, and conservation genetics. (E-mail: pmarko@clemson.edu)

William R. Marcotte, Jr., Associate Professor, Ph.D. University of Virginia, 1987. Plant molecular and developmental biolgy; plant genetic mechanisms including hormone-mediated and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression; physiology of desiccation-related proteins. (E-mail: marcotw@clemson.edu)

Amy L. Moran, Assistant Professor, Ph.D. University of Oregon, 1997. Ecology and evolution of marine organisms; physiological and morphological adaptations of early life history stages to varying environments. (E-mail: moran@clemson.edu)

Andrew S. Mount, Lecturer, Ph.D. Clemson University, 1999. Cellular and molecular biology of biomineralization in Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica: understanding how the organism nucleates calcium carbonate crystals, the mantle as a shell forming organ, the role of collagen and the investigation of the role of the immune system in shell formation. Developing novel functional genomic approaches that will enable transcripsome analysis of specific cell types related to the secretion of organic matrix proteins. (E-mail: mount@clemson.edu)

Kimberly S. Paul, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., Princeton University, 1998. Parasite-host adaptation in African Trypanosomes; cell biology, biochemistry and molecular biology of fatty acid metabolism; environmental sensing and regulation of lipid uptake and metabolism; lipid trafficking; mitochondrial biology. (E-mail: kpaul@clemson.edu)

Margaret B. Ptacek, Associate Professor, Ph.D. University of Missouri-Columbia, 1991. Speciation; animal behavior and mating systems; population divergence in fishes; conservation genetics. (http://www.clemson.edu/~mptacek/E-mail: mptacek@clemson.edu)

Charles D. Rice, Professor, Ph.D. College of William and Mary, 1989. Comparative marine immunobiology, with a special interest in the immunobiology of fishes. Veterinary immunology. Molecular and cellular aspects of neuroendocrine-immune interactions. The ontogeny and phylogeny of tumor immunology. Immunotoxicology. (E-mail: cdrice@clemson.edu)

Salvatore A. Sparace, Associate Professor, Ph.D., University of Wyoming, 1980. Biochemistry and physiology of higher plant plastids, especially the metabolic interactions in the functions of plastids in fatty acid biosynthesis, nitrogen and sulfur assimilation, and starch synthesis and degradation. Model plastid systems include developing soybean somatic embryo plastids, germinating pea root leucoplasts and spinach leaf chloroplasts. (Sparace Lab Website, email: smsprc@clemson.edu).

Timothy P. Spira, Professor, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 1983. Ecology, evolution and conservation biology of plants with emphasis on plant-animal interactions. (E-mail: stimoth@clemson.edu)

Barbara J. Speziale, Associate Professor, Ph.D. Clemson University, 1985. Aquatic ecology and limnology research, education and extension outreach, K-12 youth development. (E-mail: bjspz@clemson.edu)

Lesly A. Temesvari, Associate Professor, Ph.D., University of Windsor ( Canada), 1987. Molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern the biogenesis and function of endosomes and lysosomes; cellular and molecular biological approaches used to investigate the role of several small molecular weight Rab GTPases in endosomal and lysosomal membrane and protein trafficking and in pathogenicity of the protozoan parasite, Entamoeba histolytica. (Temesvari Lab Website / E-mail: ltemesv@clemson.edu)

David W. Tonkyn, Associate Professor, Ph.D., Princeton University, 1985. Population and community ecology and conservation biology. (E-mail: tdavid@clemson.edu)

Matthew W. Turnbull, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., University of Kentucky, 2001. Insect gap junctions; insect immunity and development; insect virology; studies of insects and symbiotic organisms including pathogens. (E-mail: turnbul@clemson.edu)

Peter Van den Hurk, Assistant Professor, Ph.D. College of William and Mary, 1998. Toxicology of environmental pollutants in aquatic ecosystems; effects of mixtures of contaminants on enzyme systems responsible for the detoxification of pollutants; fish species as relevant models and effect indicators for contaminated field situations; metabolism of toxicants in liver cells and intestinal subcellular fractions; cytochromes P-450, sulfotransferase, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase and glutathione-S-transferase. (E-mail: pvdurk@clemson.edu)

Alfred P. Wheeler, Department Chair and Professor, Ph.D. Duke University, 1975. Cell and invertebrate physiology; whole organism, cellular and molecular approaches to mechanisms of mineralization, especially the function of organic matrix molecules. Development of biodegradable peptide polymers for industrial applications. (E-mail: wheeler@clemson.edu)

Graduate Program in Microbiology

Min Cao, Assistant Professor, Ph.D. Cornell University, 2002. Microbial Genetics, Microbial Pathogenesis and Genomics; using the food-borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes as a model to study bacterial stress response (especially oxidative and nitrosative stress), identify novel virulence factors, and develop new genetic tools (e.g. mariner-based transposon system). (E-mail::mcao@clemson.edu)

**Wen Chen, Professor; Ph.D., Ohio University, 1991. Prolactin receptor antagonists for anti-human breast cancer therapy.Development of protein based therapeutics. Molecular cloning of novel genes related to breast cancer formation. (E-mail: wenc@clemson.edu)

Annel K. Greene, Professor, Ph.D. Mississippi State University, 1988. Environmental bioremediation, microbial food safety and animal co-products/biomass new product development, biosecurity, and re-utilization. (E-mail: agreene@clemson.edu).

Thomas A. Hughes, Professor, Ph.D. North Carolina State University, 1981. Cloning, sequencing, identification, and ultimately the regulation of an enhancer of the bacteriocin, lactacin B. Gene organization and biochemical pathway of Sphingomonas paucimobilis for polyaromatic hydrocarbon degradation. (E-mail: T020509@clemson.edu)

Xiuping Jiang, Assistant Professor, Ph.D. University of Maryland, 1996. To develop the nanoparticles-based methods for rapid detection of foodborne pathogens such as Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacterjejuni, and Salmonella from food and environmental samples. To investigate the pathogen movement from the pre-harvest environment to fresh food. To determine the emergence and spread of ceftriaxone resistance in Salmonella due to the treatment of calves with ceftiofur on the farm. (E-mail: xiuping@clemson.edu)

Harry D. Kurtz, Assistant Professor, Ph.D. University of Idaho, 1989. My research examines microbial ecosystems living in the deserts of southeastern Utah. Stated goals of the project are to develop management tools for use by the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service for the maintenance and care of parks and monuments in the area. I plan to use what is learned in these desert ecosystems to develop methods to aid efforts to stabilize coastal dunes in South Carolina. (E-mail: hkurtz@clemson.edu)

Lyndon L. Larcom, Professor, Ph.D. University of Pittsburgh, 1968. Mechanisms of carcinogenesis. The effects of damage to DNA and mechanisms for repair of the damage. Cellular defects in leukemias. Techniques for quantitative molecular analysis. (E-mail: lllrcm@clemson.edu)

Tamara L. McNealy, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., University of Heidelberg, 2003. Virulence mechanisms of intracellular respiratory pathogens, in particular Francisella tularensis and Legionella pneumophila. Investigations into how the natural environment of these pathogens has adapted them for pathogenicity in humans. Host-pathogen interactions, gene regulation/expression in response to environmental signals, expression of bacterial membrane proteins in regulating immune response of host. (E-mail: tmcneal@clemson.edu)

Andrew S. Mount, Lecturer, Ph.D. Clemson University, 1999. Study of the cellular and molecular biology of biomineralization in mollusks using the Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica as a model: understanding how the organism nucleates calcium carbonate crystals, the mantle as a shell forming organ, the role of collagen and the investigation of the role of the immune system in shell formation. Developing novel functional genomic approaches that will enable transcripsome analysis of specific cell types related to the secretion of organic matrix proteins. (E-mail: mount@clemson.edu)

Thomas R. Scott, Adjunct Professor, Ph.D. Univesity of Georgia, 1983. Immunology with a concentration on cellular immunity and cancer immunology; identification of cell surface markers on immunologically important cells and isolation of important cytokines regulating cell growth and differentiation. (E-mail: trscott@clemson.edu)

T. R. Jeremy Tzeng, Assistant Professor, Ph.D. Clemson University, 1998. Evaluation of nanoparticle compositions for their ability to neutralize microbial pathogens. Evaluation of phytochemical compounds for antimicrobial and anti-tumor activities. (E-mail: tzuenrt@clemson.edu)

**Yanzhang Wei, Professor, Ph.D. Ohio University, 1996. Cancer immunotherapy: Dendritic cell mediated cancer immunotherapy. Cancer gene therapy. Novel approaches for targeted cancer therapy. (E-mail: ywei@clemson.edu)

**Xianzhone Yu, Assistant Professor, Ph.D. Ohio University, 1998. Molecular and cellular mechanisms of tumor angiogenesis. Gene therapy targeting on tumor angiogenesis. Establishing tumor models through transgenic technique. Tumor therapeutic agents screening. (E-mail: xyu@clemson.edu)

**Faculty appointments through Greenville Hospital System, Greenville, South Carolina