- Professor Emeritus
Biography
Adjunct & Affiliation Appointments
- Center for Reproductive Biology
Research Interest
- Reproductive Toxicology
My current research interests center around reproductive processes that are influenced by environmental contaminants and the sources of those contaminants in humans and other animals. We utilize both analytical chemistry (GC/MS, HPLC, AA) and molecular biology (qPCR, DNA bar coding) techniques. Projects include: 1) examining mussels along the Oregon coast for the presence for polybrominated dephenyl ethers; 2) determining the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the prey of declining bull trout populations; 3) identifying pheromones, alarmones, chemoattractants and prey of oyster drills and the use in traps and slow release agents to reduce losses in the oyster reproduction through the use of natural buttering agents; 5) determining the presence of caffeine in lakes and rivers as a measure of anthropogenic influx. We are also examining molecular indices of soil quality from biodynamic farms and vineyards in the Napa Valley.