Our lab works to understand the life histories, population, and community dynamics of organisms who facilitate the decomposition process in a variety of ecosystems. Our research has direct application to wildlife, forensic, veterinary, and medical sciences.
Research Space
The D.E.A.T.H. Ecology Lab occupies research space in Curry College's new science building with access to state of the art research equipment in the field and at the benchtop. Curry College sits just outside of the Blue Hills Reservation allowing for research in aquatic and terrestrial systems. The lab owns an off trail field station to aid in the collection and processing of data.
As a highly collaborative research group with multidisciplinary research goals; students may cross-train with other faculty at the college who specialize in genetics, physiology, biochemistry, and more. Students may also participate in intercollegiate research projects with our collaborators listed below.
We are Moving!
Starting Spring 2025, we will be located at the University of New Haven.
Departmental Awards
Conference Presentation Awards
Research Leadership ('23):
Taylor Conley
Departmental Service ('23):
Sarah Corbin
Excellence in Research ('23):
William Noyes
Dannielle Borrasso
Leadership and Service ('23):
Hailey Gonsalves
Amelia Beauregard
Caitlin O'Reilly
Lily Turner-Burrell
Distinction in Forensic Science ('23):
Hailey Gonsalves
Honors Distinction
Curry College
Amelia Beauregard. 2023
Hailey Gonsalves. 2023
Caitlin O'Reilly. 2023
Texas A&M University
Steven Graham. 2021
Abby Jones. 2018
Presentation Awards:
Steven Graham. Third Place Undergraduate Oral Presentation Award. Southwestern Branch Meeting of the Entomological Society of America. 2022.
Abby Jones. Second Place Undergraduate Oral Presentation Award. 19th Annual Ecological Integration Symposium, College Station, TX. 2018.
Where are They Now?
 Sarah Corbin ('24) Forensic Science Graduate Student, Arcadia University |  Jovina Monteiro ('24) Auditor, Data Quest, Ltd. |  Sarah Channen ('24) Animal Ambassador, Franklin Park Zoo |
|---|---|---|
 Taylor Conley ('24), Laboratory Technician, Tufts University |  Hailey Gonsalez ('23), Medical Examiner Assistant at the MA Office of the Chief Medical Examiner |  Brittany Bailey ('23), Medical Examiner Assistant at the MA Office of the Chief Medical Examiner |
Current Research Openings
Below are projects that have room for more researchers.
Environmental Forensic Entomology
Filth flies are known for moving pathogens from animal waste, trash, and remains to the surrounding environment, making them possible indicators of pathogen prevalence in ecosystems. Staphylococcus aureus is recognized as a Category B pathogen under the CDC and is of high concern of transmission in human populations, especially with antibiotic resistant strains (MRSA). Livestock farmers are required to regularly monitor through expensive methodologies that can be improved through insect monitoring. Researchers will utilized filth flies to detect the presence of Staph. aureus and MRSA for use in pathogen monitoring of livestock facilities.
Requirements:
-Successful completion of BSL-2 and Bloodborne Pathogen training (will be part of onboarding process)
-Willingness to work with insects both alive and dead
-Willingness to learn sterile technique and bacterial culture
-Experience or willing to learn about rapid antigen testing (I.e. lateral flow immunosorbent assays or latex agglutination tests)
Tasks:
- Creating and testing protocols that confirm procedure for culturing Staph. aureus from flies.
- Collecting flies from livestock facilities to culture bacteria from.
- Create standard operating procedures for using flies to perform rapid tests for Staph. aureus and MRSA using latex agglutination tests
- Train students in BSL-1 laboratories on methodologies using Staph. epidermidis.
- Create an online workshop desinged to train farmers on using flies as monitors.
Students interested in research in the lab should send an email expressing interest with their resume/CV