Principal Investigator
Rita M. Graze
Assistant Professor
Department of Biological sciences
Auburn University
101 Rouse Life Sciences
Auburn, AL
36849
rmgraze(at)auburn(dot)edu
I am interested in understanding the role of sex determination and hormone signaling pathways in the evolution of sex difference in expression and sex dimorphism of complex traits. My research has focused on the genetic and environmental components of variation in sex differential expression, in the context of these specific regulatory pathways. Ultimately my goal is to build from our understanding of sex dimorphism at the level of gene regulation to delineate the relationship between sex differential expression (SDE), sexual conflict and the evolution of SDE genes.
Publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=HH5i0akAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
Graduate Students
Md. Mursalin Khan
Ph.D. Student
Department of Biological Sciences
mzk0086(at)auburn(dot)edu
I am interested in understanding the molecular basis of sex dimorphism in the innate immune response in Drosophila, and the importance of these differences in evolution of immune responses.
Publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=I3ERb4MAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
Nafiul Huda
Ph.D. Student
Department of Biological Sciences
nzh0028(at)auburn(dot)edu
My research focuses on understanding the evolution of sex dimorphism in the response to abiotic stress.
Undergraduate Researchers
April Kreibel
REU Summer Researcher
My name is April Kriebel and I am a rising senior at Spring Arbor University, located in southeast Michigan. I am a math major with a biology minor, and am part of the 2018 Summer REU in computational biology at Auburn. My research partner, Kai Cobb, and I are working together to characterize variability of transcription factor binding sites important for hormone signaling within and between Drosophila populations.
Kai Cobb
REU Summer Researcher
I am a senior bioinformatics major at Claflin University. My research interests include genomics, cancer biology, and public/global health in relation to cardiometabolic risk factors. My career goal is to get my doctorate in Biostatistics and merge my interests in biological research and public health to aid in global health research studies. My research partner, April Kreibel, and I are working on a project that will characterize the variability in transcription factor binding site sequences for different Drosophila populations.
Lab Alumni
Lauren Lindsey
MSc Student
School of Public Health, University of Alberta
llindsey(at)ualberta(dot)ca
My current research is focused on factors associated with Health outcome differences among long-term childhood cancer survivors. After completing the MSc, I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in Epidemiology. My interests include Bioinformatics, Metagenomics, Health Disparities, Infant Gut Microbiome, Soil Microbiome, and Human Genomics.
Miranda Reich
PhD Student
Biological Sciences, University of Alberta
mreich(at)ualberta(dot)ca
I am currently a 2nd year PhD student at the University of Alberta studying the genetics of bighorn sheep horns. My research interests are in conservation, genetics, and endangered species. In the future, I would like to work at a governmental agency, NGO, or zoo/wildlife sanctuary studying the genetics and genomics of endangered species.