EIGER FELLOW 2006-2009

EDUCATION

Virginia Tech , Blacksburg, VA
Ph.D., Biological Sciences, 2009
B.S. Biological Sciences, 2004

ADVISOR

Professor Ann Stevens, Department of Biological Sciences

RESEARCH GROUP

Profs. Rahul Kulkarni, Andrew Fenley, Jimmy Ritter (Dept. of Physics) and
Ann M. Stevens (Dept. of Biological Sciences)

EIGER INTERNSHIPS

July 2006
Johns Hopkins University
Experiments with microfluidics system in laboratory of our collaborator, Dr. Andre Levchenko.

June and July 2007
Univ. of New Hampshire
Experiments with squid animal model and exposure to new genetic techniques for Vibrio fischeri in laboratory of our collaborator, Dr. Cheryl Whistler.

DISSERTATION RESEARCH

My research focuses on the gene network that controls light production in the bacterium Vibrio fischeri.  This organism is a model system for the phenomenon known as quorum sensing that is used to control gene expression in many bacterial species.  It is important to understand these genetic networks because many human, animal, and plant pathogens utilize this type of system to control their virulence.

I work in a team of microbiologists and physicists to generate mathematical descriptions of genetic circuits, and then experimentally test them.  This allows us to further refine the models of the system behavior, and generate new hypotheses about interactions between different components of the system.  We are also using statistical techniques not commonly used in the field to better determine what interactions are truly significant, and also to better design our experiments to eliminate biases and error.

CONTACT INFORMATION

jowill13@vt.edu

Page last updated 11/10/09