Lizabeth Bowen
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
Assistant Project Scientist, UC Davis, 2005– 2009
Ecologist, U. S. Geological Survey, 2004–present
Postdoctoral Fellow, UC Davis, 2003-2004
Post Graduate Researcher, UC Davis. 1998-2003
Post Graduate Researcher, UC Davis, 1998
Research Assistant, UC Davis, 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 differentialMaster of Science, Ecology, University of California, Davis. 1995.
Thesis: Defenses of insular endemic plants in the absence of herbivoryBachelor of Arts, Biology. University of California, Santa Cruz. 1989.
Science and Products
Gene transcript profiling in desert bighorn sheep
Monitoring nearshore ecosystem health using Pacific razor clams (Siliqua patula) as an indicator species
Physiological and gene transcription assays to assess responses of mussels to environmental changes
Southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) population biology at Big Sur and Monterey, California --Investigating the consequences of resource abundance and anthropogenic stressors for sea otter recovery
Complex immune responses and molecular reactions to pathogens and disease in a desert reptile (Gopherus agassizii)
Development and utility of a gene transcription panel for desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni)
Using gene transcription to assess ecological and anthropological stressors in brown bears
MHC class II DRB diversity predicts antigen recognition and is associated with disease severity in California sea lions naturally infected with Leptospira interrogans
An evaluation of the efficacy of using environmental DNA (eDNA) to detect giant gartersnakes (Thamnophis gigas)
Gene transcription patterns in response to low level petroleum contaminants in Mytilus trossulus from field sites and harbors in southcentral Alaska
Coupling gene-based and classic veterinary diagnostics improves interpretation of health and immune function in the Agassiz’s desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
Cessation of oil exposure in harlequin ducks after the Exxon Valdez oil spill: Cytochrome P4501A biomarker evidence
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 39
Gene transcript profiling in desert bighorn sheep
Respiratory disease is a key factor affecting the conservation and recovery of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis ) populations. Innovative, minimally invasive tools such as gene transcription–based diagnostics have the potential to improve our understanding of the broad range of factors that can affect the health of wild sheep. Evaluation of transcript levels for genes representative of multiple inteAuthorsLizabeth Bowen, Kathleen Longshore, Peregrine Wolff, Robert C. Klinger, Mike Cox, Sarah Bullock, Shannon C. Waters, A. Keith MilesMonitoring nearshore ecosystem health using Pacific razor clams (Siliqua patula) as an indicator species
An emerging approach to ecosystem monitoring involves the use of physiological biomarker analyses in combination with gene transcription assays. For the first time, we employed these tools to evaluate the Pacific razor clam (Siliqua patula), which is important both economically and ecologically, as a bioindicator species in the northeast Pacific. Our objectives were to (1) develop biomarker and geAuthorsLizabeth Bowen, Katrina Counihan, Brenda E. Ballachey, Heather A Colletti, Tuula E. Hollmen, Benjamin Pister, Tammy L WilsonPhysiological and gene transcription assays to assess responses of mussels to environmental changes
Coastal regions worldwide face increasing management concerns due to natural and anthropogenic forces that have the potential to significantly degrade nearshore marine resources. The goal of our study was to develop and test a monitoring strategy for nearshore marine ecosystems in remote areas that are not readily accessible for sampling. Mussel species have been used extensively to assess ecosystAuthorsKatrina Counihan, Lizabeth Bowen, Brenda Ballachey, Heather A. Coletti, Tuula Hollman, Benjamin Pister, Tammy L WilsonSouthern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) population biology at Big Sur and Monterey, California --Investigating the consequences of resource abundance and anthropogenic stressors for sea otter recovery
The range of the southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) spans most of the central California coast from Half Moon Bay to Gaviota. Some coastal areas within this range are heavily developed and highly impacted by humans, while other areas are wild and largely pristine. Determining the relative importance of food resource abundance, environmental conditions, and anthropogenic increases in pathogAuthorsM. Tim Tinker, Joseph A. Tomoleoni, Benjamin P. Weitzman, Michelle Staedler, Dave Jessup, Michael J. Murray, Melissa Miller, Tristan Burgess, Lizabeth Bowen, A. Keith Miles, Nicole Thometz, Lily Tarjan, Emily Golson, Francesca Batac, Erin Dodd, Eva Berberich, Jessica Kunz, Gena Bentall, Jessica Fujii, Teri Nicholson, Seth Newsome, Ann Melli, Nicole LaRoche, Holly MacCormick, Andy Johnson, Laird Henkel, Chris Kreuder-Johnson, Pat ConradComplex immune responses and molecular reactions to pathogens and disease in a desert reptile (Gopherus agassizii)
Immune function plays an important role in an animal's defense against infectious disease. In reptiles, immune responses may be complex and counterintuitive, and diagnostic tools used to identify infection, such as induced antibody responses are limited. Recent studies using gene transcription profiling in tortoises have proven useful in identifying immune responses to various intrinsic and extrinAuthorsK. Kristina Drake, Christina M. Aiello, Lizabeth Bowen, Rebecca L. Lewison, Todd C. Esque, Kenneth E. Nussear, Shannon C. Waters, Peter J. HudsonDevelopment and utility of a gene transcription panel for desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni)
Respiratory disease is a key factor impacting the success of the ongoing conservation and recovery of wild sheep populations (WAFWA 2017). Although the primary pathogens involved in the bighorn sheep pneumonia complex have been identified, the wide variability in herd response following infection is not well understood (Cassirer et al. 2018). The response of populations infected with Mycoplasma oAuthorsLizabeth Bowen, Kathleen Longshore, Peregrine Wolff, Shannon C. Waters, A. Keith Miles, Mike Cox, Sarah BullockUsing gene transcription to assess ecological and anthropological stressors in brown bears
Increasingly, population- and ecosystem-level health assessments are performed using sophisticated molecular tools. Advances in molecular technology enable the identification of synergistic effects of multiple stressors on the individual physiology of different species. Brown bears (Ursus arctos) are an apex predator; thus, they are ideal candidates for detecting potentially ecosystem-level systemAuthorsLizabeth Bowen, A. Keith Miles, Shannon C. Waters, Dave Gustine, Kyle Joly, Grant V. HilderbrandMHC class II DRB diversity predicts antigen recognition and is associated with disease severity in California sea lions naturally infected with Leptospira interrogans
We examined the associations between California sea lion MHC class II DRB (Zaca-DRB) configuration and diversity, and leptospirosis. As Zaca-DRB gene sequences are involved with antigen presentation of bacteria and other extracellular pathogens, we predicted that they would play a role in determining responses to these pathogenic spirochaetes. Specifically, we investigated whether Zaca-DRB diversiAuthorsKarina Acevedo-Whitehouse, Frances Gulland, Lizabeth BowenAn evaluation of the efficacy of using environmental DNA (eDNA) to detect giant gartersnakes (Thamnophis gigas)
Detecting populations of rare or cryptic species is essential for their conservation. For species like giant gartersnakes (Thamnophis gigas), conventional survey methods can be expensive and inefficient. These sampling difficulties might be overcome by modern techniques that detect deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) shed by organisms into the environment (eDNA). We evaluated the efficacy of detecting giaAuthorsBrian J. Halstead, Dustin A. Wood, Lizabeth Bowen, Shannon C. Waters, Amy G. Vandergast, Julia S. Ersan, Shannon M. Skalos, Michael L. CasazzaGene transcription patterns in response to low level petroleum contaminants in Mytilus trossulus from field sites and harbors in southcentral Alaska
The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill damaged a wide range of natural resources, including intertidal communities, and post-spill studies demonstrated acute and chronic exposure and injury to an array of species. Standard toxicological methods to evaluate petroleum contaminants have assessed tissue burdens, with fewer assays providing indicators of health or physiology, particularly when contaminant levAuthorsLizabeth Bowen, A. Keith Miles, Brenda E. Ballachey, Shannon C. Waters, James L. Bodkin, Mandy Lindeberg, Daniel EslerCoupling gene-based and classic veterinary diagnostics improves interpretation of health and immune function in the Agassiz’s desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
The analysis of blood constituents is a widely used tool to aid in monitoring of animal health and disease. However, classic blood diagnostics (i.e. hematologic and plasma biochemical values) often do not provide sufficient information to determine the state of an animal’s health. Field studies on wild tortoises and other reptiles have had limited success in drawing significant inferences betweenAuthorsK. Kristina Drake, Lizabeth Bowen, Rebecca L. Lewison, Todd C. Esque, Kenneth E. Nussear, Josephine Braun, Shannon C. Waters, A. Keith MilesCessation of oil exposure in harlequin ducks after the Exxon Valdez oil spill: Cytochrome P4501A biomarker evidence
The authors quantified hepatic hydrocarbon-inducible cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) expression, as ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity, in wintering harlequin ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) captured in Prince William Sound, Alaska (USA), during 2011, 2013, and 2014 (22–25 yr following the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill). Average EROD activity was compared between birds from areas oiled by theAuthorsDaniel Esler, Brenda E. Ballachey, Lizabeth Bowen, A. Keith Miles, Rian D. Dickson, John D. Henderson - Science
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