Time: 10:00, Oct. 21, 2014

Venue: Conference Room on the 8th Floor

Speaker: Dr. Rebecca A. Zufall      University of Houston

Title: Mutation, migration, and sex: evolutionary genetics in Tetrahymena thermophila

Introduction to the Speaker: 

Appointments and Education

　　2013-present Associate Professor, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX

　　2006-2013 Assistant Professor, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston TX

　　2003-2005 Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA, Advisor: Laura Katz

　　2003 Ph.D., Department of Biology and Program in Genetics, Duke University, Durham, NC, Advisor: Mark Rausher

　　1996 B.S., Biology, concentration Genetics and Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, Advisor: Sara Via

　　Grants and Fellowships

　　2013-2018 Mutation accumulation in the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, NIH-NIGMS, role: PI (co-I's: R. Azevedo and R. Cartwright), $1,442,528.

　　2010-2013 Sex ratio evolution in the model ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, Norman Hackerman Advanced Research Program, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, role: PI, $74,520.

　　2006-2007 Cis-acting signals and genome-wide effects of extensive genome processing in diverse ciliates, National Science Foundation, role: PI, $50,000

　　Publications (select)

　　Phadke, S. S., T. Paix？o, T. Pham*, S. Pham*, and R. A. Zufall. 2014. Genetic background alters dominance relationships between mat alleles in Tetrahymena thermophila. Journal of Heredity 105: 130-135.

　　Long, H., T. Paix？o, R. B. R. Azevedo, and R. A. Zufall. 2013. Accumulation of spontaneous mutations in the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila. Genetics. 195: 527-540. (Featured in "Issue Highlights" and journal cover.)

　　Zufall, R. A., K. L. Dimond, and F. P. Doerder. 2013. Restricted distribution and limited gene flow in the model ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila. Molecular Ecology 22: 1081-1091. (Featured in "Perspectives.")

　　Zufall, R. A., M. Sturm* and B. C. Mahon. 2012. Evolution of germline-limited sequences in two populations of the ciliate Chilodonella uncinata. Journal of Molecular Evolution 74:140-146.

　　Paix？o, T., S. S. Phadke, R. B. R. Azevedo, and R. A. Zufall. 2011. Sex ratio evolution under probabilistic sex determination. Evolution 65: 2050-2060.

　　Zufall, R. A., C. L. McGrath*, S. V. Muse, and L. A. Katz. 2006. Genome architecture drives protein evolution in ciliates. Molecular Biology and Evolution 23:1681-1687.

　　Zufall, R. A. and M. D. Rausher. 2004. Genetic changes associated with floral adaptation restrict future evolutionary potential. Nature 428: 847-850.

　　Professional Service

　　Associate Editor, Genome Biology and Evolution, 2014-2017

　　Steering Committee, Research Coordination Network for Biodiversity in Ciliates, 2011-present

　　Nominating Committee, International Society of Protistologists, 2008-2009, 2010-2011