Derek R. Artz

Telephone: (315) 787-2344
email: dra54@cornell.edu

I am a postdoctoral associate working with Brian Nault.  I am broadly interested in the evolutionary ecology of plant-insect interactions, particularly pollination ecology and insect behavior.  I am also interested in understanding how plants have evolved floral and other traits to maximize their reproductive success, mediated through interactions with pollinators, florivores, and seed predators.  My previous research focused on the reproductive ecology of two subspecies of evening primrose, Oenothera cespitosa, in western North America.  My colleagues and I were interested in determining the importance of fragrance variation and its consequences for plant reproductive success.  We were particularly interested in determining what ecological role floral scent played in attracting pollinators, non-pollinating floral visitors (e.g., pollen thieves, nectar robbers), herbivores, and seed predators in this plant species.  Currently, I am investigating the diversity and relative importance of wild native bee pollinators to pumpkins in New York.  Our research aims to address if there are differences in pollinator diversity on small and large fields and whether different bee visitors are more efficient pollinators.

Bingjun He

Telephone: (315) 787-2362
email: bh283@cornell.edu

I am presently working as a postdoctoral associate with David M. Soderlund. My general research interest is in insect physiology. Currently, I am using the electrophysiological patch-clamp technique to study the complex mechanism of action of pyrethroid insecticides on cloned mammalian brain voltage-gated sodium channels stably expressed in an immortalized human epithelial cell line (HEK293). One of the primary objectives of this research is to identify variations in pyrethroid sensitivity between different neuronal sodium channel isoforms in hopes of identifying novel structural and functional determinants that confer pyrethroid sensitivity.

Cynthia (Simon) Hsu

Telephone: (315) 787-2344
email: clh33@cornell.edu

I am a postdoctoral associate working with Brian Nault. I am generally interested in insect dispersal behavior, and using our understanding of the spatial and temporal patterns of dispersal to improve pest management programs. In the past I have worked on the use of predatory mites to control spider mites in cotton; researching differences in dispersal behavior of male, mated female and virgin female obliquebanded leafrollers to understand how dispersal might explain the variable success of pheromone control programs; and, studying the dispersal of a specialist parasitoid of corn borers and how their dispersal behavior might influence the evolution of resistance to Bt-corn. Currently, my research focuses on the temporal and spatial spread of an onion virus vectored by onion thrips. The virus was identified in New York in 2006. We are in the beginning stages of determining whether the virus is re-introduced each year, is already well established, how quickly it spreads through an onion field, and whether the spatial and temporal patterns of spread within a field and at a landscape scale can help us understand the dispersal behavior of the vector, onion thrips.

Lihua Huang

Telephone: 315-787-2418
email: Lh349@cornell.edu

Xiaoxia Liu

Telephone: (315) 787-2453
email: xl293@cornell.edu

I am a postdoctoral associate in the research group of Dr. Anthony M. Shelton. I am specifically interested in evaluating the environmental risks (ER) of Bt-plants. My current work is to make a comparative assessment of the effects of Bt plants and conventional insecticides on the persistence and population dynamics of a parasitoid and predator and, in turn, their effects on pest suppression and evolution of insecticide resistance in the pest population.

Rebecca Loughner

Telephone: (315) 787-2343
email: rll26@cornell.edu

I work as postdoctoral associate with Jan Nyrop.  I am specifically interested in understanding how arthropods respond to their environment and using that information to improve pest management strategies.  My current work is focused on two projects.  One is using a combination of flight tunnel assays and volatile collection techniques to identify the aggregation pheromone of the strawberry sap beetle for use in developing an attract-and-kill management strategy in strawberry.  The second is examining how leaf architecture in grapes affects retention of predaceous mites for biological control.  I am working with analysis and publication of results from experiments looking at the influence of both structure and abundance of domatia and trichomes on phytoseiid behavior, as well as designing further assays to understand interactions of leaf morphology with prey and species of phytoseiids.

Matthew Petersen

Telephone: (315) 787-2475
email: mjp266@cornell.edu

My work involves the study of two introduced species of crane flies, Tipula oleracea and Tipula paludosa, from Europe to North America. These two species, in contrast to the great majority of crane flies, are serious pests in pasturelands, turfgrass, and several other production systems. Because these species pose a serious economic threat to multiple commodity bases, I am studying how different ecological factors influence the presence of these species in turfgrass systems and researching both chemical and cultural methods for their control. Particularly, I am investigating the occurrence of these species in sod production, as this commodity base may additionally serve as a conduit for long distance dispersal through movement of infested media. In addition to the study of the potential economic impact of these species, I am investigating their invasion history and ecological distribution across the introduced range. By modeling the ecological niche of each species across both their native and introduced ranges it is possible to better understand the climatic variables that influence their distributions and to examine if these species are undergoing niche evolution. This work will help to both predict the potential areas of North America that will be impacted by these species, and provide insight into how crane fly species respond to introduction into novel environments. This former example may additionally provide evolutionary insight into species response to climate variation, species formation, and mechanisms responsible for the current levels of species diversity.

Kasorn Tiewsiri

Telephone: (315) 787-2418
email: kt355@cornell.edu

I am a postdoctoral associate working with Ping Wang. During the part
years, our research interest has focused on the mucin-degrading enzyme
called enhancing. This enzyme is correlated with the distruption of the
structural integrity of the peritrophic membrane (PM) and enhanced viral
infection from several lepidopterous species. Thus, one of my research
here is to determine what is the chemical nature and function of enhancin
in Trichoplusia ni-intestinal mucus protein. The second one is
investigating the mechanism of resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ac
toxin in the cabbage looper, T. ni. Detailed understanding of this
insecticidal resistance mechanism is very important that would pave the
way for the future development of the better biological insect control.