Dr. Rob Denton
<b>Department: </b>Biology<br><b>Research Area: </b> I am an evolutionary biologist who uses genetic data to answer questions about the biology and conservation of amphibians.
Department: Biology
Research Focus: I am an evolutionary biologist who uses genetic data to answer questions about the biology and conservation of amphibians.
Potential Student Project(s):
We work together to ask scientific questions, rigorously test our ideas, and enthusiastically communicate our results with anyone. The lab primarily uses genomic data to solve mysteries about amphibians. This work demands a variety of skills that students can learn and hone, including fieldwork to collect specimens, caring for captive animals, extracting and sequencing DNA/RNA, and working in computer environments to analyze large amounts of data. Some example questions from recent student projects:
- How do mitochondrial and nuclear genomes acquire mutations differently over time?
- Do salamanders with larger genomes have reduced physiological capacity?
- How do increased genome sizes in amphibians influence the size and composition of their organs?
- Do hybrid amphibians express genes equally from all their chromosomes?
Attributes/skills/background sought in undergraduate:
Training in specific techniques is provided as part of your participation in the lab. The most successful students are
- curious
- hardworking
- enthusiastic communicators
- detail-oriented
- appreciative of amphibians (salamanders and frogs)
Mentoring Plan:
Before starting work, the student and I complete a mentoring plan that helps establish their goals and needs for the academic year. The student will meet with me regularly and work 5 h/week on the project, including 1 on-1 interactions with me for 1 hour/week. In order to build community, the student researcher will also be integrated in to the lab broadly. This will provide opportunities to work alongside graduate students, postdoctoral scientists, and other undergraduate researchers.
What you can expect from me. I will:
- Use whatever resources are at my disposable to help you obtain your career goals, including helping you define and refine those goals
- Promote a collegial, respectful, and safe environment for you to do your work
- Encourage you to challenge your understanding and gain intellectual independence
- Meet with you regularly
- Assist in planning experiments, training for certain techniques, interpreting results, and writing about your project
- Provide access to laboratory, computational, and field equipment. If we don’t have what you need, I will help you apply for funding to support your work
- Help you network and plan for your next steps after your bachelors degree
What I expect from you. You will:
- Ask questions: questions that interest you, questions that you think you should already know the answer to, and questions that neither of us will know the answer to. It is the foundation of science.
- Always consider safety first. Keeping everyone safe is the first priority both in the lab and in the field.
- Conduct yourself with scientific integrity. This includes never manipulating data, lying about results, or plagiarizing.
- Keep a detailed written record of your work, whether in the laboratory, at the computer, or in the field
- Meet with me regularly and respond promptly when I contact you
- Treat other lab members with respect and report any abusive behavior immediately. No abusive behavior will be tolerated.
Contact: 765-285-8841, FB 269