Faculty Research
Our faculty members are engaged in internationally recognized research in anatomy, bioinformatics, biomedical science, cellular and molecular biology, ecology, evolution, behavior and conservation, human anatomical sciences, microbiology and plant sciences. Faculty research has led to numerous patents and significant funding from leading agencies including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Institute for Genomic Research.
Learn more about faculty research by visiting our faculty pages. We offer opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students to work with faculty in our research labs. You can also explore funded undergraduate research opportunities.
Distinguished Research Professors
- Ana Calvo
- Holly Jones, Presidential Research Professor
- Elizabeth Gaillard
Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Faculty members listed below frequently provide opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in research. Contact individual professors to inquire about openings in their labs.
| Professor | Lab | Research Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Heather Bergan-Roller | MO 447/425 | Biology education research |
| Bill Martin | MO 448 | Undergraduate STEM education; basic and applied plant sciences |
| Neil Blackstone | MO 339/423 | Coral physiology and bleaching |
| Barrie Bode | MO449/412 | Cancer biology and molecular physiology |
| Ana Calvo | MO 308A/309 | Molecular microbiology and biotechnology; gene regulation; plant and animal pathogenic fungi |
| Olivier Devergne | MO 342/414 | Cell and developmental biology; epithelial cell polarity |
| W. Scott Grayburn | MO 303/326 | Molecular Core Lab |
| Michael Henson | MO312 (L)/MO452(O) | Aquatic microbiology; microbial genomics, physiology and ecology; molecular and computation biology |
| Holly Jones | MO 448 | Conservation biology; restoration ecology; climate change adaptation |
| Bethia King | MO 446/428 | Animal behavior; entomology |
| Jennifer Koop | MO 449/317 | Evolutionary biology; invasion biology; population genetics; conversation biology |
| Virginia Naples | MO 425 | Anatomy; functional morphology; mammalogy |
| Karen Samonds | MO 406A | Paleontology; skeletal biology; biogeography; anatomy |
| Pallavi Singh | MO 334/407 | Human/animal microbiome; bacterial pathogens; comparative genomics; one health; food safety |
| Garry Sunter | MO 322 | Plant pathogens and plant immunity |
| Wesley Swingley | MO 333 | Microbial ecology; computational biology |
| Linda Yasui | MO 358/114 | Radiation-induced cell death; cell biology; cancer biology |
| Shengde Zhou | MO 435 | Microbial genetics; molecular biology; metabolic engineering, biotechnology |
Contact Us
Department of Biological SciencesMontgomery Hall 349
815-753-1753
815-753-0461 (fax)
General questions can be directed to kmeyer5@niu.edu.
Student enrollment questions can be directed to sfarley@niu.edu.