19 faculty and 0 courses in Biology at Davidson College.
- Kevin Smith, Chair & Herman Brown Professor of Biology h-index 34
Conservation Biology Biodiversity Ecology Data Analysis Inclusive Pedagogy Background My teaching at Davidson focuses on general biology, conservation biology and biodiversity, and data analysis. My research focuses on analyzing biodiversit
Notable: “Using null models to disentangle variation in community dissimilarity from variation in α-diversity” (2011) · 1,005 citations
- Chris Paradise, Chair of Environmental Studies; Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies h-index 22
Community Ecology Insect Biology Effects of Urbanization on Insects Background As a teacher and ecologist, I want my students to understand the process of doing science, to appreciate the main concepts in biology, and to make connections be
Notable: “Identification and validation of multiple cell surface markers of clinical-grade adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells as novel release criteria for good manufacturing practice-compliant production” (2016) · 241 citations
- Susana Wadgymar, Associate Professor of Biology h-index 18
Plant Biology Evolutionary Ecology Environmental Change Background I am an evolutionary ecologist who studies the processes that promote or constrain adaptive evolution in plant systems, often in the context of informing conservation manage
Notable: “Climate change disrupts local adaptation and favours upslope migration” (2019) · 196 citations
- Barbara Lom, Beverly F. Dolan Professor of Biology h-index 17
Microscopy Neuroscience Developmental Biology Background I am a developmental neurobiologist interested generally by the ways organisms develop and specifically by the ways the nervous system forms. That a single cell, the fertilized egg, h
Notable: “Kinetics of bone cell organization and mineralization on materials with patterned surface chemistry” (1996) · 260 citations
- Karen G. Hales, Professor of Biology h-index 15
Genetics Cell Biology Background I am a geneticist and cell biologist who is fascinated by the molecular mechanisms of how cells (and the structures within) are shaped, and how regulation of shaping connects with function. I mentor independ
Notable: “Developmentally Regulated Mitochondrial Fusion Mediated by a Conserved, Novel, Predicted GTPase” (1997) · 604 citations
- Nicole M. Baran, Assistant Professor of Biology h-index 14
Behavioral neuroendocrinology Evolutionary developmental biology Songbird social behavior Neuroscience Genomics/bioinformatics Background I am an interdisciplinary behavioral neuroendocrinologist and vertebrate biologist. I am especially fa
Notable: “Can we infer social preferences from the lab? Evidence from the trust game” (2010) · 65 citations
- Scott Villa, Lester D. Coltrane Assistant Professor of Biology h-index 12
Behavioral Ecology Sexual Selection Speciation Parasitology Background I am an evolutionary ecologist broadly interested in understanding how and why new species form. Specifically, my research focuses on the links between environmental cha
Notable: “Integrating phylogenomic and population genomic patterns in avian lice provides a more complete picture of parasite evolution” (2017) · 61 citations
- Bryan Thurtle-Schmidt, Associate Professor of Biology h-index 8
Biochemistry Structural Biology Background I am a biochemist interested in the relationship between protein structure and function. In particular, I focus on large proteins I like to think of as "molecular machines." I have worked on protei
Notable: “All tangled up: how cells direct, manage and exploit topoisomerase function” (2011) · 648 citations
- Karen Bernd, Professor of Biology h-index 8
Cell Biology Effect of Environmental Toxicants on Lung Cells Waterpipe Tobacco Smoke Background To understand how an organism works we need to understand its basic parts, the cells. As a cell biologist I use techniques ranging from microsco
Notable: “Mutations That Alter the Kinase and Phosphatase Activities of the Two-Component Sensor EnvZ” (1998) · 158 citations
- Mark Barsoum, Assistant Professor of Biology h-index 5
Physiology Cellular neuroscience Biology education Background I came to Davidson in 2009 as a faculty member in the Biology Department and the inaugural director of the Math and Science Center, which is now part of the Center for Teaching a
Notable: “Nitric oxide‐induced mitochondrial fission is regulated by dynamin‐related GTPases in neurons” (2006) · 649 citations
- Rachid El Bejjani, Associate Professor of Biology h-index 5
Genetics Molecular Biology Neurobiology Background What genes are involved in the process of regeneration after nervous system injury? How do these genes interact with each other? These are some but not all the questions we work on. I use C
Notable: “MUC1 is a novel regulator of ErbB1 receptor trafficking” (2006) · 111 citations
- Kate Levasseur, Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology h-index 3
Conservation Biology Molecular Ecology Background I am broadly interested in conservation biology, marine systems, and promoting science literacy. My research centers on the molecular ecology and conservation of wild populations, particular
Notable: “Exceptionally high natal homing precision in hawksbill sea turtles to insular rookeries of the Caribbean” (2019) · 31 citations
- Sabriya Rosemond, Assistant Professor of Practice in Biology h-index 2
Biology Education Biochemistry Background My history with Davidson College began in 2006 when I came as a visiting summer undergraduate researcher exploring the then nascent field of synthetic biology. I’ve since had the pleasure of explori
Notable: “Engineering bacteria to solve the Burnt Pancake Problem” (2008) · 56 citations
- Arianna Smith, Assistant Professor of Biology
Reproductive Biology Immunology Cell Biology Background I joined the Biology Department at Davidson College in 2024 and teach introductory biology and immunology. My research interests lie at the intersection of reproductive biology a
- Dave Wessner, Professor of Biology
Es on viral pathogenesis-how viruses cause disease. Currently, students are exploring the potential antiviral properties of compounds synthesized by members of the Chemistry Department. I'm also very interested in HIV/AIDS education and out
- David Charifson, Visiting Assistant Professor in Biology
Marine Biology Invertebrate Zoology Evolutionary Ecology Molluscan Biology Background I am a marine invertebrate zoologist and evolutionary ecologist interested in investigating research questions involving how animals respond to environmen
- Debbie Thurtle-Schmidt, Assistant Professor of Biology
Genomics Bioinformatics Background I am interested in integrating novel genomics data into teaching bioinformatics. Every single cell in an organism has almost the exact same genomic information, yet cells in the body develop into vastly di
- Janet Melonakos, Lecturer in Biology
Cell Biology Cancer Biology Maternal and Fetal Biology Research Interests Although I do not have an active lab at Davidson, I am passionate about furthering basic science research—especially the field of cancer biology. I love passing this
- Lenny Yong, Assistant Professor of Biology
Evolutionary Biology & Genetics Molecular Ecology Genomics Conservation Genetics Animal Coloration Background Broadly, I am an evolutionary biologist who has long been captivated by the remarkable biodiversity that surrounds us. My curi
Roster/catalog compiled from the college’s public directory. Faculty counts are directory headcounts; the named list may be a subset. h-index shown only for ORCID-backed or high-confidence OpenAlex matches. Data as of 2026-07-02.