Dr. Erica Unger, associate professor of biology and director of neuroscience, co-authored “Iron-deficiency and dopaminergic treatment effects on RLS-Like behaviors of an animal model with the brain iron deficiency pattern of the restless legs syndrome” and “Developing a behavioral model of Restless Legs Syndrome utilizing mice with natural variances in ventral midbrain iron,” which were published on ScienceDirect. Unger and her colleagues concluded that BXD strain 40 mice provide a useful tool to model RLS and that the severity of brain iron deficiency is linked to restless legs syndrome symptoms.

Dr. Courtney Lappas, associate professor of biology, and one of her research colleagues, Dr. Brian Meier, professor of psychology at Gettysburg College, were guests on WITF’s live Smart Talk show. The duo spoke about their “natural-is-better” bias research. Click here to listen.

Dr. Rebecca Urban, associate professor of biology and director of environmental science, and collaborators from 22 primarily undergraduate institutions recently published a paper, “Effects of urbanization on the population structure of freshwater turtles across the United States” in the journal Conservation Biology. Urban’s 2012 and 2013 Environmental Science (BIO 103) and Ecology (BIO 312) classes helped collect data that were used in the article co-written by Professor Urban. This research was made possible through the Ecological Research as Education Network (EREN).

Ross Lobell ’76, biology, was named vice president of regulatory affairs at Corbus Pharmaceuticals. Prior to Corbus, he held leadership positions at several global pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer and Schering-Plough.

Robbie Beidler ’18 and Haley Wagner ’18, biology, presented at the Mid-Atlantic Ecological Society of America Annual Conference at Rutgers University–Newark last month. Wagner presented her poster, “Effect of organic matter on an isoetid’s ability to change sediment redox potential,” which received honorable mention recognition. Beidler gave an oral presentation, “An investigation on how road salt impacts aquatic bladderworts.” Wagner worked with Dr. Rebecca Urban, associate professor of biology and director of environmental science, on her research and Dr. Urban and Aaron Stoler of Stockton University co-authored Beidler’s paper.

Dr. Stephen Williams, professor emeritus of biology, discussed his research, including that the Venus flytrap actually isn’t primarily a fly-eater, with George Weigel, PennLive’s gardening expert. In “A bad new bug, a glowing plant, and flytraps without flies: The latest in gardening research,” Dr. Williams notes that Venus flytrap’s do eat flies, but only when they are a last choice option.