Sigma Xi

Michelle Monette

Research Summary:

My research seeks to understand how animals regulate physiological function in order to acclimate to changes in their environment.  More specifically, my research focuses on understanding the physiological mechanisms of internal salt balance in vertebrates (from fish to humans).  To do this, I use a multi-level approach, investigating questions at the molecular, organismal, and population levels.  For example, I am interested in ion (or salt) transport proteins, how these proteins function in an organism, and how evolution may have shaped the characteristics of these proteins over time.  The importance of my research is two-fold:  First, my investigations address fundamental questions relevant to highly conserved mechanisms of salt balance in vertebrates and the understanding of these processes in comparative systems may aid in the treatment of human diseases.  Second, determining how natural and human-driven perturbations in our environment affect physiological function of aquatic vertebrates is critical to the proper management/conservation of endangered or economically important species.  I currently have ongoing research projects working with Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and Threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus).

Students:

  • Socheata Lim (Chemistry, WCSU, 2014). Socheata is currently a Ph.D. student in the Biomedical Sciences Program at the UCONN Health Center in Farmington, CT.
  • Aiden Ford (Neurobiology, UCONN, 2017). Aiden is currently a research fellow at the Marcus Autism Center in Atlanta, GA.
  • Jeffrey Divino, Ph.D. (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UCONN, 2016). Jeffrey is currently and Adjunct Professor at UCONN and Middlesex Community College.
  • Robert Toth (Biology, WCSU, 2014)
  • Karen Velez (Biology, WCSU, 2017)
  • Daniel Suquilanda (Biology, WCSU, 2017)
  • Shannon McFarland (Biology, WCSU, 2018)
  • Skye Zalenski (Biology, WCSU, 2019)

Notable Awards:

  • Shannon McFarland: $1000 Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research Award to support her research project titled, “The role of the Na-Cl cotransporter in the adaptation of Threespine Stickleback.”

 

Links to peer-reviewed publications:

http://www.evolutionary-ecology.com/abstracts/v17/2982.html
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jfb.12763/full
http://www.jbc.org/content/289/11/7569.short
http://www.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/ajprenal.00552.2010
http://jeb.biologists.org/content/213/9/1558.short
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166445X10001013