Biology Research
At Adelphi University, biology research empowers students to work closely with faculty on cutting-edge projects.
As a biology student at Adelphi University, you have the chance to engage in guided research—whether in the laboratory or out in the field—under the supervision of our experienced faculty.
To receive credit for research:
- Contact a faculty member whose research interests you to discuss and arrange a project
- Register for the appropriate course upon securing faculty approval
Undergraduate Student Research
Undergraduate biology students have the opportunity to engage in guided research in the laboratory or in the field under faculty supervision. Whether completing a capstone project, pursuing honors, or gaining research experience, the Adelphi SPARK Center supports students with project planning, mentorship connections, and preparation for presentations.
Students are encouraged to connect with faculty and advisors to explore research opportunities. Findings can be shared through department seminars and other forums, helping you build skills in scientific communication and collaboration.
Graduate Student Research
Graduate students can pursue research as part of a thesis or on a voluntary basis, depending on their program track. Graduate students in our MS Biology program are encouraged to connect with faculty members and advisors about research opportunities.
You can potentially earn a graduate teaching assistantship, which can cover a major part of your tuition.
Biology Faculty Research and Areas of Focus
Our faculty are active researchers in diverse fields, from molecular genetics to ecosystem ecology. They mentor students at all levels, providing hands-on experience in cutting-edge scientific inquiry. Explore their work below to find a research area that inspires you.
- Shana Caro, PhD researches social behavior, cognition, and metacognition in nonhuman animals, as well as how human activity influences animal behavior. Her lab studies both birds and social insects, operating at the intersection of behavioral neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and urban biology. She also partners with the Garden City Bird Sanctuary to support research and engagement at the intersection of urban environments and wildlife behavior.
- Michael D’Emic, PhD studies the evolution and ecology of dinosaurs and other reptiles. Each summer he leads fieldwork expeditions to dig up dinosaurs and other extinct animals in the western USA, and he also studies how bones and teeth grow at the cellular level in a variety of animals. Hear the NPR podcast on dinosaur growth and read about size variation in dinosaurs.
- Matthias Foellmer, PhD uses spiders and insects to study the evolutionary significance of extreme sexual dimorphism, gender roles, sexual conflict, and anisogamy. He is also interested in the ecology of Long Island salt marshes, focusing on anthropogenic effects such as climate change, habitat fragmentation, and pollution. Read about his fight for healthy wetlands and his research about sexually cannibalistic spiders.
- Aaren Freeman, PhD’s research interests are in marine biology, evolution and ecology of marine organisms, biology of invasive species, predator-prey interactions, kelp aquaculture, and oyster bed restoration. Read about how kelp and oysters keeps LI waters clean, and about his fish/wildlife grant.
- Natalia Prado-Oviedo, PhD brings together various research disciplines to better understand the unique physiological parameters of endangered species to improve their daily management, breeding, welfare, and conservation. She has active research projects with species ranging from elephants and crocodiles to bears and gorillas. Learn about the Science of Healthy Zoo Habitats.
- Ben Pyenson, PhD uses a comparative framework in computational ethology and evolutionary biology to understand behavioral evolution in animals. His work explores how similar behavioral decisions drive both task specialization within insect societies and ecological specialization in response to environmental resources, with the goal of understanding how these traits evolve over time.
- Kaiya Provost, PhD focuses on the evolutionary biology of birds, with particular emphasis on genomics, singing behavior, and computational biology. Her work examines how bird song varies across space and time and what these patterns reveal about evolution and communication in natural populations. She also engages in public-facing science that connects research on bird song with broader audiences, including serving as a consultant for the Only Murders in the Building TV show, where she helped teach cast members to mimic bird calls.
- Jonna Coombs, PhD focuses on heavy metal bioremediation, which is the use of living organisms to clean up contaminated environments. Her research focuses on three major questions: What kinds of bacteria are capable of bioremediation, and how do they survive? What are the structural changes in the proteins involved in metal resistance? How has horizontal gene transfer played a role in the evolution of metal resistance?
- Alexander Heyl, PhD works on the evolution and function of signaling pathways. In particular, he is interested in the origin and in the molecular mechanisms of the signal transduction pathway of a class of plant hormones called cytokinins. Wet lab experiments and bioinformatics analysis tools are used towards these goals. Learn about his research on plant hormones, crops and climate change and about a genetics breakthrough that rewrites the story of life.
- Alan Schoenfeld, PhD performs research on cancer genetics, in particular the class of genes known as tumor suppressor genes. His investigations have centered on uncovering the normal cellular function(s) of the protein products of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene. Read about his tumor suppressor gene research and his renal cell research.
- Aram Stump, PhD’s research involves the evolution of genes. He has studied how the iron-binding protein lactoferrin evolved to have an antibacterial activity in certain mammals. He’s also mapped the evolution of an important part of eukaryotic RNA polymerase II that is involved in the regulation of gene expression. Read about his research into molecular evolution.
- Eugenia Villa-Cuesta, PhD is interested in how genes and environment influence aging and disease, and her research uses Drosophila melanogaster and cultured cells to study the molecular mechanisms by which nutrition influences life span and health span. Read about her fruit fly research and curing mitochondrial disease and about how improv training enlivened her lessons.
- Tandra Chakraborty, PhD focuses on stress management and its impact on brain health. Her research examines how chronic stress disrupts neuroendocrine signaling, elevates cortisol levels, impairs neuronal survival, and contributes to cognitive decline and metabolic dysregulation. She is particularly interested in nutraceuticals and natural compounds that can modulate the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, enhance resilience to stress, and support neuronal survival. Adaptogens such as Ashwagandha and Shankapushpi show potential to reduce oxidative stress, promote neurogenesis, and improve synaptic plasticity. Through this work, she aims to identify safe, accessible strategies that protect brain function, alleviate stress-related metabolic disturbances, and support long-term neuroendocrine health.
- Ashwana Fricker, PhD, works on developing diverse and resilient microbiomes through the application of live microorganisms (probiotics) and foods aimed at promoting growth of microorganisms (prebiotics). Her particular interest is working with the human gut microbiota through the use of both wet-lab and computational approaches.
- Ben Pyenson, PhD, is an integrative biologist who uses neurophysiology, genomics, and single-cell transcriptomics to study how sensory systems and neural processes shape behavior. His research helps explain how neural and sensory mechanisms support complex decision-making across different biological contexts.
- Benjamin Weeks, PhD focuses on the effects of xenobiotics on the cellular mechanisms of development and disease. Read about his research into CBD’s impact on anxiety disorders and about his vitamin C research.
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Lawrence Hobbie, PhD does biology education research, with recent projects including the effects of exam correction assignments on student learning, how to teach students effective learning strategies and the role of genetics and genomics in undergraduate nursing education. Read about a new STEM teaching approach to enhance learning.