People

Senior researchers

Dr. Vasyl V. Tkach

University of North Dakota

Homepage: http://www.und.nodak.edu/instruct/vtkach/

Dr. Scott D. Snyder

University of Nebraska

Homepage: http://www.unomaha.edu/%7Eparasite/

Dr. Yuriy Kuzmin

Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences

Project's expert on the roundworms (Phylum: Nematoda) found in turtles.

Homepage: http://izan.kiev.ua/ppages/kuzmin/

Dr. John Hnida

Peru State College (Nebraska)

Expert on coccidian parasites (Phylum: Apicomplexa).

Homepage: http://www.peru.edu/artsandsciences/directory/hnida/index.htm

Mr. William Moser

National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution

Expert on the ectoparasitic leeches (Phylum: Annelida) recovered by the project.

Dr. Peter O'Donoghue

University of Queensland

Expert on the protozoa found in turtle blood.

Homepage: http://smms.uq.edu.au/pod/index.html

Dr. David Blair

James Cook University

The project's initial contact in Australia

Dr. Sean Doody

Monash University

Homepage:

http://monash.edu/science/about/schools/biological-sciences/staff/doody/

Dr. Arthur Georges

University of Canberra

Homepage: http://www.canberra.edu.au/centres/iae/staff/georges/georges-about.php

Students - Snyder's lab

Ashley Freyre (M.S.student)

Ashley is using ribosomal DNA to examine the diversity of the blood protozoan genus Trypanosoma in Australian freshwater turtles. Ashley won the best student paper award at the 2008 meeting of the Southwestern Association of Parasitologists for her work! She is done with her research and anticipates graduating in August 2009.

Dominique Freyre (M.S.student)

Dominique is examining population structure in the turtle blood fluke Spirorchis scripta using morphological and molecular characters. She is done with her research and anticipates graduating in August 2009.

Zach Weiler (undergraduate student)

Zach examines the phylogeny of polystome monogenes that live in the eyes and urinary bladders of turtles worldwide.

Students - Tkach's lab

Christina Brewer (Ph.D. student)

Christina has only recently started her studies. She will be working on phylogeny of digeneans, primarily plagiorchiates, that will include several taxa from turtles in Australia and other continents. Subject of her M.S. thesis was microfilarial enhancement of West Nile virus transmission.

Michael Maier (undergraduate student)

Michael worked in Tkach's lab for one semester only in the fall 2006, but he was able to sequenced numerous samples of nematodes belonging to genera Camallanus, Krefftascaris and Spiroxys. His works has allowed to provide reliable molecular differentiatio among species of Camallanus from Australian turtles and describe a new species. A manuscript co-authored by Mike is accepted for publication in "Comparative Parasitology". Mike has graduated from UND and continues his professional preparation at the School of Dentistry of the University of Minnesota.

Antoine Fettig (undergraduate student)

Toni worked on molecular differentiation among digeneans of the genus Choanocotyle during 2007 and 2008. She processed all available samples except for the most recent ones collected upon her graduation from UND in May 2008. She extracted DNA, obtained sequences, made digital images of extracted specimens and prepared total mounts of extracted specimens and additional vouchers. Toni received an award (and a book signed by John Janovy) for the best poster at the Northern Prairie Biological Symposium in April 2008. Her work will allow us to summarize available data on this genus. Toni is planning to become a doctor.

Eric Strand (undergraduate student)

Eric works in the lab since spring 2007. He helped with preparing DNA sequences and slides of several turtle digenean taxa. Currently he is working on sequencing a complete mitochondrial genome of Austramphilina elongata. He co-authored a paper on a new species of Macroderoides in North America. Eric has presented his work at two regional meetings and was a recepient of highly competitive Oschel-Whittaker award ($5,000) in 2007 and departmental Edith Larson Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Student in 2008. Eric will be graduating in May 2009 and has already been accepted to the School of Dentistry of the University of Minnesota where he will begin his studies in September 2009.

Rachel Krein (undergraduate student)

Rachel works in the lab since fall 2007. She helped with various taxa, but her specific project is the molecular (ribosomal and mitochondrial genes) and morphological identification and differentiation of amphilinid cestodes from Australian turtles. This proved to be an extremely difficult group due to numerous problems with DNA amplification and sequencing, particularly of ribosomal genes. She prepares a Honors Thesis and, simultaneously, a manuscript of paper on the subject. She will be graduating in May 2009 and plans to become a dentist.

Jenifer Ness (undergraduate student)

Jenifer worked on molecular and morphological differentiation of digeneans of the genus Sigmapera since spring 2007. She processed a large number of samples which, combined with data obtained by PIs Snyder and Tkach, helped to outline distribution of two cryptic species of this previously monotypical genus. Jenifer was the only undergraduate presented her work at the Northern Prairie Biological Symposium in April 2008. Like Eric, she received a highly competitive Oschel-Whittaker award ($5,000) in 2007 and departmental Floyd Hunter Award for field work in 2008. Jenifer has graduated from UND in December 2008 and is planning to become a veterinary doctor.