Carolyn M. Bauer | Faculty Profiles

Diplomas/Degrees

PhD, Tufts University (2014)

BS, University of Washington (2009)

Professional Experience

Postdoctoral Scholar, 2014-2017, North Dakota State University

Teaching Philosophy

I enjoy teaching biology. My main goal as an instructor is to create an interactive learning environment, and I challenge my students to examine knowledge in different contexts, to recognize and value the scientific process, and to appreciate the integrative nature of biology. Finally, I am dedicated to being a supportive teacher for all my students, and I try very hard to foster an inclusive learning environment for students of all backgrounds.

Courses Previously Taught

Human Anatomy and Physiology I: Lecture and Lab

Human Anatomy and Physiology II: Lecture and Lab

Animal Behavior

Research Interests

Stress is ubiquitous. On a daily basis wild animals may have to deal with stressors such as predation attempts, decreased food availability, and social instability. On a seasonal basis these same animals may have to encounter and cope with snowstorms, floods, drought, and disease. And now due to an increased human presence, wild animals must also face the effects of habitat destruction, urbanization, pollution, and climate change. The endocrine stress response is essential for appropriately responding to these environmental challenges, as glucocorticoids (the main stress hormone in vertebrates) affect many different physiological systems such as energy use and storage, reproduction, and immune function. While lack of a sufficient stress response may result in depredation, starvation, or territory loss, over-activation of the endocrine stress response commonly results in pathology. This leads to the critical question: which stress profiles are most advantageous in different environmental contexts?

My research aims to uncover the relative fitness consequences of different endocrine stress profiles in different environmental contexts.

To address this research aim, my work focuses on the variation of the vertebrate endocrine stress response both within and across individuals. Within individuals, I’m interested in how early life experiences and aging affect the stress response. As for variation across individuals, I’m interested in how different life history stages and environments influence population stress profiles. Answering these questions will allow us to better understand how animals will cope with environmental change.

Articles

Graham, J.L., Needham, K.B., Bertucci, E.M., Pearson, A.A., Bauer, C.M., and Greives, T.J. (2019). Onset of daily activity in a female songbird is related to peak-induced estradiol levels. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 59:1059-1067.

Bauer, C.M., Graham, J.L., and Greives, T.J. (2019) Corticosterone negative feedback is weaker during spring vs. autumn migration in a songbird (Junco hyemalis). General and Comparative Endocrinology, 280:36-42.

Graham, J.L, Bauer, C.M., Heidinger, B.J., Ketterson, K.E., and Greives, T.J. (2019) Early breeding females experience greater telomere loss. Molecular Ecology, 28:114-126.

Needham, K.B., Bergeon Burns, C., Graham, J.L., Bauer, C.M., Kittilson, J., Ketterson, E.D., Hahn, T., and Greives, T.J. (2019) Changes in processes downstream of the hypothalamus are associated with seasonal follicle development in a songbird, the dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis). General and Comparative Endocrinology, 270:103-112.

Bauer, C.M., Correa, L.A., Ebensperger, L.A & Romero, L.M. (2019) Stress, sleep, and sex: a review of endocrinological research in Octodon degus. Special Issue on Endocrinology of Neotropical Vertebrates. General and Comparative Endocrinology, 273:11-19.

Bauer, C.M., Fudickar, A.M., Anderson-Buckingham, S., Abolins-Abols, M.A., Atwell, J.W., Ketterson, E.D., and Greives, T.J. (2018) Seasonally sympatric but allochronic: differential expression of hypothalamic genes in a songbird during gonadal development. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 285:20181735.

Bauer, C.M., Graham, J.L., Abolin-Abols, M., Heidinger, B.J., Ketterson, E.D., and Greives, T.J. (2018) Chronological and Biological Age Predict Seasonal Reproductive Timing: An Investigation of Clutch Initiation and Telomeres in Birds of Known Age. American Naturalist 191: 777-782.

Bauer, C.M., Needham, K.B., Le, C.L., Stewart, E.C., Graham, J.L., Ketterson, E.D. & Greives, T.J. (2016) Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity does not suppress reproductive development in Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis) preparing for migration. General and Comparative Endocrinology 232: 60-66.

Bauer, C.M., Ebensperger, L.A., León, C., Ramírez-Estrada, J., Hayes, L.D. & Romero, L.M. (2016) Post-natal development of the degu (Octodon degus) endocrine stress response is affected by maternal stress and care. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological Genetics and Physiology 325: 304-317.

Bauer, C.M., Heidinger, B.J., Ketterson, E.D. & Greives, T.J. (2016) A migratory lifestyle is associated with short telomeres in a songbird (Junco hyemalis). The Auk: Ornithological Advances 133: 649-653. *Featured in Auk press release July 27^th, 2016

DuRant, S.E., Arciniega, M., Bauer, C.M. & Romero, L.M. (2016) A test of reactive scope: reducing scope causes delayed wound healing. General and Comparative Endocrinology 236: 115-120.

Lapointe, M.A., Bauer, C.M. (corresponding author), Ebensperger, L.A., Reed, J.M. & Romero, L.M. (2015) Live-trapping is not biased by the endocrine stress response: a preliminary study in the degu (Octodon degus). Journal of Mammalogy 96: 762-771.

Bauer, C.M., Hayes, L.D., Ebensperger, L.A., Ramírez-Estrada, J., León, C., Davis, G.T. & Romero, L.M. (2015) Maternal stress and plural breeding with communal care affect development of the endocrine stress response in a wild rodent. Hormones and Behavior 75: 18-24.

Bauer, C.M., Hayes, L.D., Ebensperger, L.A. & Romero, L.M. (2014) Seasonal variation in the degu (Octodon degus) endocrine stress response. General and Comparative Endocrinology 197: 26-32.

Bauer, C.M., Nachman, G., Lewis, S.M., Faust, L.F. & Reed, J.M. (2013) Modeling effects of harvest on firefly population persistence. Ecological Modelling 256: 43-52.

Bauer, C.M., Skaff, N.K., Bernard, A.B., Trevino, J.M., Ho, J.M., Romero, L.M., Ebensperger, L.A. & Hayes, L.D. (2013) Habitat type influences endocrine response in the degu (Octodon degus). General and Comparative Endocrinology 186: 136-144.

Keyel, A.C., Bauer, C.M., Lattin, C.R., Romero, L.M. & Reed, J.M. (2012) Testing the role of patch openness as a causal mechanism for apparent area sensitivity in a grassland specialist. Oecologia 169: 407-418.

Lattin, C.R., Bauer, C.M., de Bruijn, R. & Romero, L.M. (2012) Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis activity and the subsequent response to chronic stress differ depending upon life history stage. General and Comparative Endocrinology 178: 494-501.

Lattin, C.R., Waldron-Francis, K., Richardson, J.W., deBruijn, R., Bauer, C.M., Breuner, C.W. & Romero, L.M. (2012) Pharmacological characterization of intracellular glucocorticoid receptors in nine tissues from house sparrow (Passer domesticus). General and Comparative Endocrinology 179: 214-220.

Atwater, D.Z., Bauer, C.M. & Callaway, R.M. (2011) Indirect positive effects ameliorate strong negative effects of Euphorbia esula on a native plant. Plant Ecology 212: 1655-1662.

Bauer, C.M., Glassman, L.G.*, Cyr, N.E. & Romero, L.M. (2011) Effects of predictable and unpredictable food restriction on the stress response in molting and non-molting European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A 160: 390-399.

Wacker, D.W., Coverdill, A.J., Bauer, C.M. & Wingfield, J.C. (2010) Male territorial aggression and androgen modulation in Alaskan populations of the sooty, Passerella iliaca unalaschcensis, and red fox sparrow, Passerella iliaca iliaca. Journal of Ornithol. 151:79-86.

Chapters

Romero, L.M., Bauer, C.M., de Bruijn, R. & Lattin, C.R. 2017. Seasonal Rhythms. In Handbook of Stress, Volume 2: Neuroendocrinology and Endocrinology, ed. G. Fink, 421-427. Oxford: Academic Press.

Conference Presentations

Mark, D., Nasari, A., Triano, N., and Bauer, C. 2020. Poster. Early identification of pregnancy in a precocial rodent (Octodon degus). Annual meeting of the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology. Austin, TX, USA. Janurary 3^rd-7^th, 2020.

Sam, A., Malcangi, S., Lam, C., León, C., Ramírez-Estrada, J., and Bauer, C. 2020. Poster. Postnatal maternal stress decreases locomotive play behavior in Octodon degus pups. Annual meeting of the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology. Austin, TX, USA. Janurary 3^rd-7^th, 2020.

Greives, T., Graham, J., Bauer, C. Symposium talk. Daily rhythms in hormones and behavior: seasonal timing and reproductive success. Annual meeting of the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology. Tampa, FL, USA. January 3^rd-7^th, 2019.

Bauer, C., Fudickar, A., Anderson-Buckingham, S., Abolins-Abols, M., Atwell, J., Ketterson, E., and Greives, T. Poster. Differential expression of hypothalamic genes in juncos (Junco hyemalis) during gonadal development. International Congress of Neuroendocrinology. Toronto, CA. July 15^th-18^th, 2018.

Anderson-Buckingham, S.*, Bauer, C., Fudickar, A., Abolins-Abols, M., Atwell, J., Ketterson, E., and Greives, T. Poster. Differential expression of hypothalamic genes in juncos (Junco hyemalis) during gonadal development: implications for regulation of timing of breeding. Annual meeting of the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology. San Francisco, CA, USA. January 3^rd-7^th, 2018. *mentored undergraduate researcher

Graham, J.L., Bauer, C., Heidinger, B.J., Ketterson, E.D., and Greives, T.J. Talk. Accelerated aging as a cost of early reproduction in a wild, free-living songbird. Annual meeting of the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology. San Francisco, CA, USA. January 3^rd-7^th, 2018.

Bauer, C., Graham, J.L. & Greives, T.J. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis regulation differs between fall and spring migration. Poster. Annual Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology Meeting, New Orleans, LA, January 4^th-9^th, 2017.

Bauer, C., Graham, J.L., Abolins-Abols, M., Heidinger, B.J., Ketterson, E.K. & Greives, T.J. Early breeding female Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis) have shorter telomeres. Talk. Annual Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology Meeting, New Orleans, LA, January 4^th-9^th, 2017.

Bauer, C., Heidinger, B.J., Needham, K.B., Graham, J.L., Ketterson, E.D. & Greives, T.J. Does a migratory lifestyle accelerate telomere loss in Junco hyemalis? Poster. Annual Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology Meeting, Portland, OR, January 3^rd-7^th, 2016.

Bauer, C., Ketterson, E.D. & Greives, T.J. Reproductive development during vernal migratory preparation is not suppressed by the endocrine stress response in the Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis). Talk. Annual Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology Meeting, Portland, OR, January 3^rd-7^th, 2016.

Bauer, C., Ebensperger, L.A., Hayes, L.D. & Romero, L.M. Maternal effects of stress in a plural-breeding rodent. Talk, Division of Comparative Endocrinology Audrey Gorbman Best Student Presentation Competition. Annual Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology Meeting, Austin, TX, January 4^th, 2014.

Bauer, C., Hayes, L.D., Ebensperger, L.A. & Romero, L.M. Seasonal variation in the degu (Octodon degus) endocrine stress response. Talk. 93^rd Annual American Society of Mammalogists Meeting. Philadelphia, PA, June 17^th, 2013.

Bauer, C., Koplik, L.* & Romero, L.M. Effects of corticosterone on ketone and uric acid levels in house sparrows. Poster. Annual Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology Meeting, Charlestown, SC, January 3^rd-7^th, 2012.

Invited Presentations

Bauer, C. Maternal effects of stress in plural-breeding rodents. Invited talk. Life Sciences Colloquium Series, Smith College, Northampton, MA, USA. April 15^th, 2019.

Bauer, C. Variation of the stress response in wild, free-living vertebrates. Invited talk. Biology Department, Nassau Community College, Garden City, NY, November 14^th, 2017.

Bauer, C. Maternal effects of stress in the degu (Octodon degus). Invited talk. Tri-Beta Club, Radford University, VA, March 18^th, 2015.

Other Work

Calisi, R.M. and a Working Group of Mothers in Science* (2018) How to Tackle the Childcare-Conference Conundrum. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 115: 2845-2849. *I was one of 45 women that contributed to the manuscript as part of this group.

Grants

(2020-2022) NSF. Collaborative Research: IRES Track I: Stronger together: Exploring how communal care reduces individual costs during challenging years. C.M. Bauer & L.D. Hayes, $399,968

(2015) American Ornithologists’ Union Hesse Research Award
(2015) Wilson Ornithological Society Louis Agassiz Fuertes Grant
(2013) Graduate Women in Science Travel Grant
(2013) Animal Behavior Society Student Research Grant
(2013) Tufts Institute of the Environment Graduate Student Fellowship
(2012) Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid-of-Research
(2012-13) Tufts International Research Program Grant, C.M. Bauer & L.M. Romero
(2012-13) NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant, C.M. Bauer & L.M. Romero
(2012) American Society of Mammalogists Grant-in-Aid-of-Research
(2012) Animal Behavior Society Student Research Grant
(2011) Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid-of-Research
(2011) Tufts Graduate School Grant-in-Aid-of-Research
(2011) American Society of Mammalogists Grant-in-Aid-of-Research
(2010, 2011, 2013, 2014) Tufts University Graduate Student Travel Award
(2008) Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Exchange Scholarship
(2008, 2010) SICB Charlotte Magnum Student Support Program
(2007) University of Washington Mary Gates Research Scholarship
(2007, 2008) University of Washington Casey Endowed Biology Fund

Theses Advised

Stephanie Malcangi, “Postnatal maternal stress decreases social and locomotive play behaviors in Octodon degus pups,” Senior Honors Thesis, Spring 2019.

Meaghan Ross, “The Effects of Maternal Care and Stress on Rodent Play Behavior,” Masters Scholarly Paper, Fall 2018.

Projects Mentored

Danielle Mark, Bio 497, “Degu Testosterone Rhythms.” Fall, 2019. “Characterization of estrus cycles in Octodon degus.” Spring 2019.

Noah Triano, Bio 498, “Degu Negative Feedback.” Fall, 2019. Bio 497, “Validation of steroid hormone assays for Octodon degus.” Spring 2019.

Stephanie Malcangi, Bio 497, 499, Senior Honors Thesis, “Postnatal maternal stress decreases social and locomotive play behaviors in Octodon degus pups.” Fall 2018, Spring 2019.

Arun Sam, Bio 497, “Postnatal maternal stress decreases social and locomotive play behaviors in Octodon degus pups.” Fall 2018, 2019.

Meaghan Ross, “The Effects of Maternal Care and Stress on Rodent Play Behavior,” Masters Scholarly Paper, Fall 2018

Cindy Lam, Bio 497, “The impact of postnatal maternal stress on offspring play behavior in a precocial rodent,” Spring 2018

Honors and Accomplishments

(2019-2020) Adelphi Teaching Fellow

(2014) Aubrey Gorbman Best Student Presentation Award, Division of Comparative Endocrinology, Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology
(2010, 2011) National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Honorable Mention
(2009-2010) Provost Fellows Program, Tufts University
(2009) Franco Award: Best Undergraduate Research Paper in the Biological Sciences
(2007) Summer School of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Scholarship
(2005) University of Washington Undergraduate Scholar Award

Community Outreach

General Public: Wrote public blog (http://degustress.blogspot.com/) of Chilean research experience (2011-2013), has over 24,000 page views.

Secondary Education: Science Fair Judge, Medford High School, Medford, MA (2014) and Up Academy Leonard Middle School, Lawrence, MA (2014), Tour leader for Morehouse College biology undergrads, Tufts Biology Department (2011), Panel member, Postgraduate Career Paths in Biology at UMass Boston (2010).

Primary Education: Presented at Long Island Children’s Museum STEM weekend (1/14/18 and 1/13/19), Big Brothers Big Sisters, Fargo, ND (2014-2015). Presenter, First Grader Ecology Field Day, North Grafton Elementary, MA (2014). Summer Intern, Seattle Audubon Nature Camp (2007).

Professional Activities

Ad hoc reviewer for NSF (IOS, Animal Behavior)

Manuscript reviewer for Biology Letters, Functional Ecology, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Hormones and Behavior, Behavioral Ecology, Current Zoology, General and Comparative Endocrinology, Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, The Auk: Ornithological Advances, Journal of Experimental Biology, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, Journal of Mammalogy, Ethology, and Behaviour.

University Service

University Executive Saftey Committe, Biology Representative and Radiation Safety Office 2019-present

General Education Committee, Natural Sciences Representative 2018-present

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee Member 2018-present

International Experience

I have conducted field and laboratory research near Santiago, Chile. This work has focused on the degu- a rodent related to guinea pigs. All work has been done in collaboration with Professor Luis Ebensperger at the Pontificia Catolica Universidad de Chile.

When combining all of my field seasons in Chile, I calculate that I've spent about a year of my life living in Santiago. I have a pretty good knowledge of the city, where to live, transportation options, etc. I've also spent some time in Parque Nacional Fray Jorge and the Tres Cruces area.