My research program focuses on the interactions among immunology, toxicology, disease ecology, and ecosystem health.
I analyze the physiologic and metabolic effects of stressors on organisms and how subsequent vulnerabilities translate into population and ecosystem health. Stressors can be either chemical (pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons), physical (e.g., elevated water temperature), or biological (toxins, pathogens). My long-term goal is to better understand the effects of anthropogenic and natural stressors on individuals and how those stressors are reflected in an individual organism’s fitness (survival and reproduction), the population level effects of differential survival and reproduction of individuals, and the ecosystem level effects of population change.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
- Eco-immunology
- Nearshore marine ecosystem health
- Conservation biology
- Eco-toxicology
- Individual and population level susceptibility
Professional Experience
Ecologist, U. S. Geological Survey, 2004–present
Assistant Project Scientist, UC Davis, 2005– 2009
Postdoctoral Fellow, UC Davis, 2003-2004
Post Graduate Researcher, UC Davis. 1998-2003
Post Graduate Researcher, UC Davis, 1998
Research Assistant, UC Davis, 1996
Teaching Assistant, UC Davis, 1994-1996
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Ecology, University of California, Davis. 2003.
Thesis: Immunogenetics in the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus): evolution of the major histocompatibility complex under differential
Master of Science, Ecology, University of California, Davis. 1995.
Thesis: Defenses of insular endemic plants in the absence of herbivory
Bachelor of Arts, Biology. University of California, Santa Cruz. 1989.
Science and Products
Assessing heat stress in migrating Yukon River Chinook Salmon
Polar Bear Health and Disease Diagnostics
Developing Physiological Diagnostics for the Desert Tortoise
Environmental Stressors and Wildlife Health
Davis Field Station
Science and Products
- Science
Assessing heat stress in migrating Yukon River Chinook Salmon
We will examine evidence of heat stress in Yukon River Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) using heat shock proteins and gene expression.Polar Bear Health and Disease Diagnostics
In 2012, scientists noticed that nearly a third of polar bears sampled in a study in Alaska were suffering from hair loss and poor health. Drs. Lizabeth Bowen and A. Keith Miles of WERC used new technology to track down and identify the factors responsible for driving disease in Alaskan polar bears.Developing Physiological Diagnostics for the Desert Tortoise
The Mojave desert tortoise is listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act and faces threats from habitat loss, predators, and disease. Drs. Lizabeth Bowen and A. Keith Miles with WERC are designing new methods to determine the type and influence of stressors present in the environment for the tortoise and other wildlife.Environmental Stressors and Wildlife Health
Environmental stressors such as contaminants and disease can cause physiological imbalance in all types of wildlife. WERC’s Drs. Lizabeth Bowen and A. Keith Miles develop gene transcription profiles to detect organisms’ physiological responses to environmental stressors and provide resource managers with early warnings for potential effects on wildlife and ecosystem health.Davis Field Station
The Davis Field Station is home to research programs that focus on coastal ecosystem dynamics, ecological stressors, and their effects on wildlife populations. These studies primarily take place along the Pacific coast from the Aleutian Islands to southern California. Current projects investigate sea-level rise along both coasts of North America, landscape-scale aquatic and terrestrial ecology... - Data
- Publications