My primary research interests focus on the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate various systemic processes within model organisms. Not only is this important to best understand the function of animal physiology, but it also sheds light on analogous regulatory mechanisms that can be translated to human systems. Much of this research has included work on insect model organisms to better understand digestive, cardiac, neural, immune and reproductive processes. In particular, I have identified various regulating proteins and signaling cascades that control cellular machinery and are vital to maximize overall systemic physiology. It is my passion for asking “how” and “why” things happen that I pass on to my students every day. My pedagogical approaches are framed around training students to be leaders in translating interdisciplinary scientific applications to the real world. I have collaboratively established undergraduate research-focused projects (The Stink Bug Project, BioBlend Project, Horizontal Curriculum Integration Project), applied undergraduate laboratory and research facilities (ALLURE lab, Undergraduate Cell Biology Lab, Living Systems Lab) and have engaged students in translating the science they learn beyond the walls of the classroom through the use of social media and emerging technologies including Blended Learning. All of my wet-lab and pedagogical research projects are highly collaborative with teams of students. As a Distinguished MacPherson Institute Leadership in Teaching and Learning (LTL) Fellow, I look forward to continuing to collaborate with other faculty across McMaster University and beyond on additional projects that can ultimately improve the education that students attain in our classrooms.

My primary research interests focus on the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate various systemic processes within model organisms. Not only is this important to best understand the function of animal physiology, but it also sheds light on analogous regulatory mechanisms that can be translated to human systems. Much of this research has included work on insect model organisms to better understand digestive, cardiac, neural, immune and reproductive processes. In particular, I have identified various regulating proteins and signaling cascades that control cellular machinery and are vital to maximize overall systemic physiology. It is my passion for asking “how” and “why” things happen that I pass on to my students every day. My pedagogical approaches are framed around training students to be leaders in translating interdisciplinary scientific applications to the real world. I have collaboratively established undergraduate research-focused projects (The Stink Bug Project, BioBlend Project, Horizontal Curriculum Integration Project), applied undergraduate laboratory and research facilities (ALLURE lab, Undergraduate Cell Biology Lab, Living Systems Lab) and have engaged students in translating the science they learn beyond the walls of the classroom through the use of social media and emerging technologies including Blended Learning. All of my wet-lab and pedagogical research projects are highly collaborative with teams of students. As a Distinguished MacPherson Institute Leadership in Teaching and Learning (LTL) Fellow, I look forward to continuing to collaborate with other faculty across McMaster University and beyond on additional projects that can ultimately improve the education that students attain in our classrooms.

Development in multicellular bacteria; Regulation by small RNAs; Antibiotic production The goal of our research is to understand development and regulation in multicellular bacteria, using Streptomyces coelicolor as our model system. The streptomycetes are extremely important to the pharmaceutical industry as they make a large number of secondary metabolites having a profound medical benefit, including anti-cancer agents, immunosuppressants, and the majority of clinically useful antibiotics. They are also unusual in that they have a complex, multicellular life cycle and are capable of differentiating into distinct tissue types. Intriguingly, this differentiation process coincides with the production of secondary metabolites. One aspect of our research is focused on understanding the components necessary for differentiation, and centres on a novel family of proteins, termed the chaplins, that are essential for the transition from one differentiated state to another. We are also interested in the regulatory networks that control differentiation, metabolism, and environmental adaptation in S. coelicolor, and are focussing on a newly emerging, and universally important, class of regulators known as the small RNAs.

Development in multicellular bacteria; Regulation by small RNAs; Antibiotic production The goal of our research is to understand development and regulation in multicellular bacteria, using Streptomyces coelicolor as our model system. The streptomycetes are extremely important to the pharmaceutical industry as they make a large number of secondary metabolites having a profound medical benefit, including anti-cancer agents, immunosuppressants, and the majority of clinically useful antibiotics. They are also unusual in that they have a complex, multicellular life cycle and are capable of differentiating into distinct tissue types. Intriguingly, this differentiation process coincides with the production of secondary metabolites. One aspect of our research is focused on understanding the components necessary for differentiation, and centres on a novel family of proteins, termed the chaplins, that are essential for the transition from one differentiated state to another. We are also interested in the regulatory networks that control differentiation, metabolism, and environmental adaptation in S. coelicolor, and are focussing on a newly emerging, and universally important, class of regulators known as the small RNAs.

Evolutionary Genetics, Genomics, and Sex Chromosomes The Evans lab studies how natural selection, recombination, and demography influence genome evolution. One of the major themes of our work is to study speciation and gene duplication in African clawed frogs. This work aims to further understanding of the extent and mechanisms of biological diversification in this group, and to explore interesting genomic phenomena such as the evolution of sex chromosomes and transposable elements. Another focus of our efforts relates to the role of social systems on genome evolution. This work involves simulations of genome evolution under various social systems, and analysis of molecular polymorphisms from sex chromosomes, autosomal DNA, and mitochondrial DNA of cercopithecine monkeys.

Evolutionary Genetics, Genomics, and Sex Chromosomes The Evans lab studies how natural selection, recombination, and demography influence genome evolution. One of the major themes of our work is to study speciation and gene duplication in African clawed frogs. This work aims to further understanding of the extent and mechanisms of biological diversification in this group, and to explore interesting genomic phenomena such as the evolution of sex chromosomes and transposable elements. Another focus of our efforts relates to the role of social systems on genome evolution. This work involves simulations of genome evolution under various social systems, and analysis of molecular polymorphisms from sex chromosomes, autosomal DNA, and mitochondrial DNA of cercopithecine monkeys.

The Wilson laboratory studies the impacts of environmental stressors on aquatic organisms, with a strong emphasis on aquatic toxicology research. Our research intersects environmental physiology, ecology and evolution, and bioinformatics and functional genomics. Our basic research program focuses on the evolution, regulation and function of cytochrome P450 enzymes; enzymes that are critical for xenobiotic metabolism and steroid production. Cytochrome P450 enzymes are an important superfamily involved in chemical defense. Our environmental physiology research examines the impacts of contaminants (e.g. human drugs, metals, complex effluents), temperature, and low dose radiation. We are particularly interested in the effects on development, growth, and reproduction. The biological approaches used in the lab are quite diverse and include gene expression, histology, protein assays (e.g. enzyme activity, steroid levels), morphometrics, growth, and behaviour. Likewise, our species of interest are diverse. Our primary fish model species are zebrafish and rainbow trout but we include important native species such as lake whitefish, round whitefish, and Arctic charr. For invertebrate systems, we use the brown and green hydra, both freshwater Cnidarian species, and a marine annelid Capitella telata.

The Wilson laboratory studies the impacts of environmental stressors on aquatic organisms, with a strong emphasis on aquatic toxicology research. Our research intersects environmental physiology, ecology and evolution, and bioinformatics and functional genomics. Our basic research program focuses on the evolution, regulation and function of cytochrome P450 enzymes; enzymes that are critical for xenobiotic metabolism and steroid production. Cytochrome P450 enzymes are an important superfamily involved in chemical defense. Our environmental physiology research examines the impacts of contaminants (e.g. human drugs, metals, complex effluents), temperature, and low dose radiation. We are particularly interested in the effects on development, growth, and reproduction. The biological approaches used in the lab are quite diverse and include gene expression, histology, protein assays (e.g. enzyme activity, steroid levels), morphometrics, growth, and behaviour. Likewise, our species of interest are diverse. Our primary fish model species are zebrafish and rainbow trout but we include important native species such as lake whitefish, round whitefish, and Arctic charr. For invertebrate systems, we use the brown and green hydra, both freshwater Cnidarian species, and a marine annelid Capitella telata.