Members of the Biology Department interact with numerous organizations in partnerships involving teaching, research, and service. Below are descriptions of some of our ongoing partnerships.
Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
Dr. Ted Meigs is partnering with with scientists at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center in Chapel Hill, NC, to study the molecular mechanisms that drive cancer cells toward uncontrolled shape change and migration. Dr. Meigs is the first professor outside UNC Chapel Hill to be appointed an Affiliate Member of the Lineberger Center.
Ecology & Conservation of Native Plants
Drs. Jonathan Horton, Jen Ward, and David Clarke are working in partnership with a number of agencies to study the ecology and conservation of native plants and threats imposed on high quality natural areas by exotic invasive plants. Examples include work 1) with the North Carolina Biotechnology Center and the Woodfin Watershed to study the relationship among physiological, genetic, and phytochemical variation in native ginseng populations, an over-exploited medicinal herb; 2) with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and US Forest Service to optimize a management strategy for a federally threatened shrub (Virginia spiraea) that grows along a riparian and highway corridor in the far western region of North Carolina; and 3) work with the US Forest Service, the North Carolina Arboretum, and the Biltmore Estate to understand the dynamics of populations of oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus), and exotic invasive plant that is a serious threat to the health of forests in our region.
Zoos and Aquaria
Dr. Reynolds’ research group frequently collaborates with AZA (Association of Zoos & Aquaria) institutions around the country, including the North Carolina Zoo, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, the Ft. Worth Zoo, and the St. Louis Zoo.