Dr. Christopher L. Parkinson
Principal Investigator
Current Positions:
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Professor, Dept. of Biological Sciences & Dept. of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University
Previous Positions:
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Professor, Dept. of Biology, University of Central Florida (UCF)
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Special Assistant to the Provost on Faculty Cluster Initiatives, UCF
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Chair, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), Office of Research and Commercialization, UCF
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Provosts Faculty Fellow, Academic Affairs, UCF
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Associate Professor, Dept. of Biology, UCF
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Assistant Professor, Dept. of Biology, UCF
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Post-Doctoral Fellow, Section of Amphibians and Reptiles, Carnegie Museum of Natural History
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Post-Doctoral Fellow, Dept. of Biology, Indiana University
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Ph.D., University of Louisville, Environmental Biology, 1996.
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B.S. and B.S., Ohio University, Wildlife Biology and Field Botany, 1990.
Postdoctoral Researchers
Dr. Edward A. Myers
Ph.D. Students
Ramses Rosales
Ph.D. Student
My research interest lies in the evolution of traits in pit vipers. Currently, my focus is on using genomic and transcriptomic data and bioinformatics to ask questions about how the toxins evolve between and within pitviper species. I’m also interested in the natural history, ecology and biogeography of amphibians and reptiles in general.
Diego Quirola
Ph.D. Student
John Henry Fowler
Ph.D. Student
I am interested in many aspects of reptile evolution, ecology, and behavior. These include venom composition, predator-prey relationships, and the exploitation of ecological niches. Specifically, I am interested in researching prey-specific venom adaptation and the possibility of an ensuing evolutionary arms race between predator and prey species.
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Matt McTernan
Ph.D. Student
My main research interests are focused on toxic animals and the study of their evolution, ecology, behavior, systematics, biogeography, venomics and toxinology. I am also interested in venom resistance and the adaptations involved in the process.
I am interested in understanding the mechanisms by which animal populations adapt to climate, and using this information to predict the potential consequences of climate warming on global biodiversity. My research integrates phenotypic and genomic data to pinpoint the traits under selection and the genotypic patterns that underlie adaptation in these traits.
M.S. Students
Tucker Heptinstall
M.S. Student
On a broad scale, my interests lie in the conservation, ecology, and evolution of reptiles. I am interested in using ecological and population genomics and bioinformatics to broaden the horizons of conservation ecology and evolution. My research here is exploring the evolution of garter snake venom and its relationship with ecological traits.