Research & Impact

Research

The Department of Biology at UMass Boston is a dynamic and integrative academic community, with faculty conducting research across a wide spectrum of the life sciences. Our faculty secure major external research grants, publish in leading scientific journals, and mentor students at the Ph.D., Master’s, and undergraduate levels.

To learn more about individual research programs, visit the Biology faculty page and explore faculty profiles and lab websites.

Research in the department spans diverse disciplines, including—but not limited to—molecular, cellular, and developmental biology; neurobiology; evolutionary biology; genetics; ecology; computational biology and bioinformatics; and cancer biology. Faculty and students engage in research addressing critical biomedical challenges, disease ecology, global environmental change, sustainability, and other pressing issues with potential translational impacts on human well-being.

The department’s many active research laboratories also offer abundant opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in hands-on research, gaining valuable technical experience that prepares them for graduate and professional programs and careers in the life sciences.

Departmental Achievements

Dr. Catherine McCusker and the Woodhams lab have contributed to a new study on Broad host susceptibility of North American amphibian species to Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans suggests high invasion potential and biodiversity risk.
Dr. Jarrett Byrnes was recently quoted in an article entitled, “The Most Mysterious Forests on Earth are Underwater” on the general interest website Vox. He discussed his own personal experiences diving in kelp forests.
Assistant Professor Nichola Hill has received significant media coverage for her research on the global spread of bird flu. The recent expansion of the virus into North America is being studied by the Hill Lab, and their work has been featured by The Guardian, The Boston Globe and Nature News.
In collaboration with the Shevchenko lab (Max Planck Institute, Dresden, Germany), the Rister lab studied the effects of vitamin A deficiency on the morphology, lipidome, and proteome of the eye.The publication is part of a Special Issue on ‘Invertebrates as Emerging Model Organisms in Nutrition Research.’
The Woodhams lab and collaborators describe rewilding the amphibian microbiome in preparation for reintroductions from captivity in Panama in an article published in Biological Conservation entitled, "Effects of captivity and rewilding on amphibian skin microbiomes".
Uzezi Okinedo, a PhD student in Brook Moyers’ lab, has been awarded the American Association of University Women’s International Fellowship for 2022-2023.

Nantucket Field Station

For information, visit the Nantucket Field Station webpage.

NatureServe

NatureServe is a non-profit conservation organization whose mission is to leverage the power of science, data, and technology to guide biodiversity conservation and stewardship. The NatureServe Network of 1,000 conservation experts in every state and province are trained in our core methodologies, so that our scientific data is decision-quality, objective, and credible. Our scientists turn those data into maps, models, and metrics that document and predict species and ecosystem distributions, evaluate threats, assess extinction risks, document trends, and identify priority conservation areas. Using cloud technology, integrated applications, and compelling visualizations, we deliver the best available data and the expert knowledge needed to maintain species diversity and sustain healthy ecosystems.

The staff located at UMass Boston oversee the data exchange program with the NatureServe Network, as well as focusing on maintaining our core zoology data.

NatureServe’s partnership with UMass Boston supports opportunities for academic collaboration on biodiversity informatics. NatureServe and NatureServe’s Network of member programs provide opportunities for undergraduate engagement in work in collecting, managing, and harnessing data on species and ecosystems at local, regional, and global scales.

For up-to-date information about NatureServe and our current projects, visit our website.

NatureServe Staff

Margaret Ormes,
Director, Science Information Resources
Margaret.Ormes@umb.edu

Nicole Sears,
Associate Zoologist/Information Scientist
Nicole.Sears@umb.edu

UMass Boston