Research

Ecology and evolution of arthropod vectors & arthropod-vectored pathogens (predominately Anaplasma phagocytophilum); comparative genomics & convergent evolution, Phylogeography of the Culex pipiens mosquito complex

My areas of specialization are molecular virology, molecular biology, and biology education.

Understanding how sharp shifts in selective pressure act to reshape highly conserved gene networks, and through the proteome.

Seagrass Ecosystems: New Jersey and in the U.S. Virgin Islands
Stinging Sea Nettles: Population Biology and Impacts on food webs in New Jersey
Invasive Jellyfish in New Jersey
Review of current projects and research interests can be found here.

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paul_Bologna

Molecular genetics, Population genetics, phylogenetics, and molecular evolution.

Utilizing in vitro techniques to study the effects of environmental chemicals on toxicity, mutagenicity or carcinogenicity. All projects study cells or organs grown in culture under normal conditions as well as conditions of stress. All research falls within the area of “Alternatives to Whole Animal Testing” and strives to reduce the need for, and use of, excessive numbers of animals in scientific research. These projects all are within the scope of my expertise and continued research interest in the study of the effects of stress on in vitro systems as an indicator of the effects of stress on the human population. The ability to withstand and cope with environmental insult from xenotoxic agents has been seen to diminish with the added insult of either mental or physiological stress.

Previous work focusing mainly on heavy metals is now being directed to the specific contaminants in the dust from the World Trade Center tragedy (WTC) which has been analyzed by the Rutgers team of Dr. Paul Lioy. I was able to justify a request to Dr. Lioy of the Environmental and Occupational Institute of Rutgers University, and he generously sent us this WTC dust sample in late 2007. I plan to continue to expand our research to include more molecular and cytogenetic techniques. Studies of chromosomal damage are being measured by the Micronucleus test which shows small broken pieces of chromosomes as small darkly staining outside of the normal nucleus. Apoptosis Assays are employed to study DNA damage from heavy metals and WTC dust . Embryonic bone of chickens is also exposed to the WTC dust to study development in presence of these toxins.

Bioinformatics, Evolutionary Genomics

Marine ecosystems; Host-pathogen interactions; Predator-prey interactions; Disease ecology; Climate-change ecology

Molecular biology of Cnidarians; jellyfish venomics

Induction of lysosomal-mediated apoptosis in chemoresistant human breast and prostate cancer cells using triptolide (Thunder God Vine), a Chinese herb that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over two centuries. We have demonstrated that triptolide's apoptotic abilities are due, in part, to it being a lysosomotropic agent.

Conservation physiology and physiological ecology
Reptile and amphibian physiology, ecology, and natural history (emphasis on northeastern and southwestern U.S. fauna)

Neuroimaging
Self-awareness and theory of mind
Deception and deception detection
Evolutionary cognitive neuroscience

Microbial Ecology
Biodiversity
Food web ecology

Molecular Microbiology
Medical Microbiology
Environmental Microbiology
Heavy metal effects on cyanobacteria

Vertebrate evolution, phylogenetics, bristletail evolution, molecular and morphological systematics including the incorporation of extinct organisms, paleontology/paleobiology, biogeography, molecular dating, molecular evolution with particular interest in teeth, olfactory, and eye genes, pseudogene evolution, morphological evolution

Cancer Research
Biology of Reproduction

Conservation Genetics
Molecular Ecology
Wildlife Disease

Molecular Neuroscience
Ion Channel Physiology

Community ecology
Freshwater biology
Limnology
Physiological ecology

Ornithology, ecology, animal behavior, conservation biology.

Dr. Vega's research focus has been on cellular signal transduction and the mechanisms by which cells respond to external environmental and biochemical clues by activating specific molecular signals and activate transcription of specific genes. While his work has traditionally been in the field of mammalian cell signaling, including the study of cellular receptors and co-receptors, Dr. Vega has expanded his research to look at the bacteriophage life cycle and how these signals work at the microbial level.

My research focuses on how plants grow in the environmental conditions they live in and how plants affect the environment that they live in. Currently, my research is concentrating on these areas: the impact of Japanese knotweed (an invasive plant) on our water supply, what is the status of the street trees in Montclair, NJ, carbon cycling in forested areas at Duke Farms, and how to help first-year first-generation students succeed in science and college. The Japanese knotweed research is in collaboration with Dr. Josh Galster of the Department of Earth and Environmental Studies. The carbon cycling work is in collaboration with Dr. Karina Schäfer at Rutgers University-Newark. All of this work has involved and continues to involve undergraduate and graduate students. Our results from the knotweed work suggest that for some of our local streams, Japanese knotweed is removing as much as 9% of our water supply during the summer months. Given that we are already experiencing water shortages in northern New Jersey, this additional loss of water is very worrisome. We are currently trying to understand the impact of this plant at the watershed scale. The rest of the research is too new to have any meaningful results.

I mostly teach BIOL113 (Principles of Biology 2), BIOL213 (Introduction to Ecology), and BIOL425/520 (Plant physiology). In addition, the last several years I have been teaching CSAM101 (Science Matters). In my teaching I try to engage students in their learning. My goal is to have students become fully engaged in their learning so that they go beyond rote learning and instead try to achieve deep learning (i.e. true understanding). I try to achieve this through a combination of in-class exercises, group projects out of class, hands-on learning in lab, and student reflection pieces in class. I believe that making lectures entertaining and showing students how the information is relevant to their lives helps them become and stay engaged. My exams are not multiple-choice. My exams are essay style and I ask students to demonstrate that they can apply what has been covered in class to a novel situation.

Dr. Wu’s research focuses on human impacts on aquatic ecosystems, such as impacts of urban development on rivers and watersheds. Wu’s team studies water chemistry, soil chemistry, hydrology, geomorphology, pathogen indicators, aquatic flora and fauna, and riparian habitat. This research extends to watershed management, nonpoint source pollution reduction, storm water management and green infrastructures. Green infrastructures include an array of practices that use or mimic natural systems to better manage storm water runoff. Dr. Wu is currently working on flood prevention/mitigation strategies for NJ vulnerable communities. Green infrastructures are often included in the design for storm water management and flood prevention.

Her research emphasizes on sustaining biodiversity via rebuilding habitat connectivity and controlling invasive species. Due to high human population density and dense urban development, wildlife habitats are fragmented and/or destroyed. Extensive road network has been shown to create complete barriers to wildlife movement and cause mortality of wildlife. Dr. Wu’s research identifies and prioritizes wildlife crossing/mortality hotspots for mitigation planning to restore habitat connectivity and for the long-term persistence of wildlife species.
Exotic species invasion is a global environmental problem associated with increasing human activity, which causes significant global ecological and economic consequences. Dr. Wu’s research examines the impacts of exotic species introduction at population, community and ecosystem levels, efficacies of invasive management strategies, as well as development of new technologies to control invasive populations. Currently, Dr. Wu is working on development of ultrasonic treatment devices for invasive species management and disinfection.

Globally, wetlands are disappearing at an alarming rate. Dr. Wu’s research interests extend to wetland ecology, management, restoration, and impacts of global climate change on wetlands. Scientific evidence suggests that anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases are having a discernible effect on the global climate, including acceleration of global temperature and sea-level rise. Dr. Wu’s research studies the role of wetlands in global climate change. Do wetlands produce a surplus of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere or retain them? Are wetlands acting as carbon sinks or carbon sources? Should wetland construction be used in exchange for carbon credits? Moreover, with sea-level rise, there could be substantial loss of floodplain and coastal wetlands. Conversely, many terrestrial ecosystems today may be flooded and become wetlands in the future. Invasive species, insects and pathogens may increase their competitive ability, expand their distribution ranges and move poleward, outcompete native species and occupy the newly developed wetlands. Dr. Wu’s research investigates the impacts of global climate change on wetland distribution, biogeochemical cycles, structure and dynamics, and ecosystem functions and services.

For more information on her research, please visit https://sites.google.com/view/wulab/