Faculty & Staff

I possess a strong commitment to student education, and a goal of mine is to stimulate students' critical thinking and problem solving abilities. I have a well-grounded research background, which informs my teaching of interdisciplinary topics with an expertise in environmental science and conservation biology in both North and Latin America. I take an experiential approach to teaching where students receive a solid foundation of knowledge but then apply this to real-life situations. Field projects and service learning are essential components of my classroom instruction. ... View Profile

Our lab investigates the molecular basis of phenotype switching in human fibroblasts that can be modulated using defined extracellular stimuli. We evaluate the role of oxygen and growth factor FGF2 isoforms independently and in combination in order to identify key molecular mechanisms and pathways, some of which closely mimic mechanisms described in human embryonic stem cells. Extended lifespan of these cells in culture also offers us a model for investigation of molecular mechanism that are regulating cell cycle in the context of both aging and cancer. ... View Profile

for more information on Dr Gegear's research please visit beecology.wpi.edu

My laboratory studies animal sensory and cognitive systems within the contexts of evolutionary ecology and conservation biology. We are particularly interested in 1) how cognitive traits such as working memory capacity and perceptual bias influence the foraging ecology of flower-visiting animals, 2) how floral signal complexity in plants is adaptively linked to sensory and cognitive traits in animal pollinators, and 3) how human-induced changes to sensory and cognitive abilities of animals at the individual level ‘scales up’ to influence the structure, dynamics, and diversity of ecological communities and natural networks. To effectively address these questions, our research approach spans multiple organizational and disciplinary boundaries, combining concepts and experimental techniques from behavioral ecology, neurobiology, experimental psychology, molecular biology, population and community ecology, evolutionary biology, and computer science.

As a model system, we primarily use the bumblebee (Bombus spp.); however, we have made several transformative scientific discoveries using other animal models, including the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) and the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster). Bumblebees are an ideal model to address the above research questions because they have evolved the behavioral capacity to flexibly track resources (floral nectar and pollen) in complex and constantly changing multi-sensory environments; they are highly amenable to experimental study of behavior under laboratory and field conditions; they are the main pollinator of numerous native plant species and therefore play critical role in maintaining the function and diversity of natural ecosystems; they have tremendous social and economic value as crop pollinators; and they are easily identified to species while visiting flowers in the wild, thereby enabling ‘citizen scientists’ with different academic backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences to participate in our field-based research (see beecology.wpi.edu for more details).

To conduct high quality interdisciplinary research using the bumblebee system, I have developed a comprehensive experimental framework that integrates field, laboratory and in silico components.

Work in my lab is focused on defining the cellular mechanisms that maintain genome stability in normal cells and understanding how these pathways are corrupted in cancer cells. ... View Profile

Before joining WPI as the Peterson Family Dean of Arts and Sciences, I was the deputy director for undergraduate education at the National Science Foundation. I was also the founding provost at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, associate dean and director at George Mason University, and the co-P.I. on a large, national dissemination grant entitled Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities (SENCER). I received my BS in biology from Rochester Institute of Technology and my PhD in biochemistry from George Washington University. ... View Profile

My research program focuses on understanding and managing fungal diseases. We primarily study Candida albicans, an opportunistic pathogen and the most prevalent fungal pathogen of humans. It is responsible for common clinical problems including oral thrush and vaginitis, but can also lead to life-threatening systematic infections in immunocompromised individuals such as AIDS patients, resulting in 30-50% mortality rates. The estimated annual cost of treating nosocomial Candida infections exceeds $1 billion per year. ... View Profile

I have developed my teaching interests and philosophy throughout my scientific career, and could not be more excited to (re)join the Department of Biology and Biotechnology at WPI, from which I earned my undergraduate degree!  I truly believe the objectives of the laboratory courses I teach must reflect the necessity of (1) training life sciences majors using the wide array of current procedures used in academic and industrial settings; (2) modeling the ability to troubleshoot procedures and strategies due to unexpected results or unforeseen circumstances; (3) preparing students to be success ... View Profile

I have a long-standing interest in applying computer science and mathematics to solve biological problems. I am currently the Associate Director of WPI’s Program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, and I am always looking for students with interests in this exciting interdisciplinary area. One of my goals in teaching biology is to help students to think more quantitatively about biological questions. A few years ago, my colleague Dr. Brian White of UMass Boston and I were awarded a grant from the NSF to develop a course, “Simulation in Biology”. ... View Profile

It has been my lifelong dream to become a professor in the field of Biology. Being a faculty member provides a great opportunity to teach and interact with students. Students by nature are highly inquisitive and motivated, and as teachers, we have the responsibility to guide our students to explore and think in new ways. I believe that teaching is a two-way interaction between teachers and students. I come from India and my parents, both of whom were teachers, taught me to strive for excellence in my scholarly pursuits. ... View Profile

Prof. Weathers is an internationally recognized expert on Artemisia annua and artemisinin, having worked with the plant and its phytochemicals including the antimalarial drug, artemisinin, for >25 years. She is a Fellow of AAAS and SIVB, won many awards, given many national and international presentations, reviews manuscripts for many journals and proposals for many national and international funding agencies. She is an Associate Editor for two journals. Her lab was the first to genetically transform A. annua. ... View Profile