Organization chart
To appreciate the internal structure of the Biology Department, please see our organization chart.
Instructional Faculty
Marlen Acosta Alamo, Substitute Lecturer
PhD, CUNY-Graduate Center
Research interests: community ecology, biodiversity patterns & processes, effects of environmental change on species assemblages in the context of conservation
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office E124
Marlen.Acostaalamo@qc.cuny.edu
Website
Sebastian Alvarado, Assistant Professor
PhD, McGill University
Research interests: Neuroepigenetics, DNA methylation, histone modification, pigmentation, nucleome, behavior
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office E102 | Lab E101
Phone 718-997-3431
sebastian.alvarado@qc.cuny.edu
Website
Mitchell Baker, Associate Professor
PhD, University of California at Davis
Research interests: Behavioral ecology, resistance evolution
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office D324 | Lab D315/317
Phone 718-997-3404
mitchell.baker@qc.cuny.edu
Website
Saima Cheema, Lecturer
PhD, CUNY-Graduate Center
Research interests: Molecular biology and microbiology
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office D336
Phone 718-997-3406
saima.cheema@qc.cuny.edu
Joanna Coleman, Assistant Professor
PhD, University of Calgary
Research interests: Urban ecology & conservation, bat ecology & conservation, human dimensions, wildlife trade
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office E116 | Lab E141
joanna.coleman@qc.cuny.edu
Website
John Dennehy, Professor
PhD, Clark University
Research interests: Experimental evolution, bacteriophage biology, evolutionary ecology
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office D322 | Lab D343
Phone 718-997-3233
john.dennehy@qc.cuny.edu
Website
Timothy DuBuc, Assistant Professor
PhD, University of Hawai’i at Manoa
Research interests: Developmental biology, stem and germ cell biology, regeneration and growth
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office E110 │ Lab E143
timothy.dubuc@qc.cuny.edu
Karl Fath, Assistant Professor
PhD, Case Western Reserve University
Research interests: Cell polarity, Golgi membrane trafficking, cytoskeletal motors
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office E122 | Lab E133
Phone 718-997-3157
karl.fath@qc.cuny.edu
Website
David C Lahti, Associate Professor
PhD, University of Michigan
Research interests: natural selection, trait evolution, animal behavior, cultural evolution
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office E120 | Lab E117
Phone 718-997-3519
david.lahti@qc.cuny.edu
Personal website
Lab website
PoKay Ma, Associate Professor
PhD, Washington University, St. Louis
Research interests: Neurophysiology, nervous system and behavior
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office E106
Phone 718-997-3412
pokay.ma@qc.cuny.edu
Website
Alicia Meléndez, Professor
PhD, Columbia University
Research interests: Developmental genetics and autophagy in C. elegans
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office D338 | Lab D311/315/316
Phone 718-997-4580
alicia.melendez@qc.cuny.edu
Website
Esther Muehlbauer, Chancellor’s Lecturer
PhD, New York University
Research interests: estuarine ecology, herpetology, evolution
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office E118
Phone 718-997-4566
esther.muehlbauer@qc.cuny.edu
Cathy Savage-Dunn, Professor and Department Chair
PhD, Columbia University
Research interests: Developmental genetics and molecular biology of C. elegans
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office D330 │ Lab D349
Phone 718-997-3440
cathy.savagedunn@qc.cuny.edu
Website
Timothy Short, Associate Professor
PhD, Stanford University
Research interests: Molecular biology, plant physiology
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office E108 | Lab E137
Phone 718-997-3414
timothy.short@qc.cuny.edu
Website
Maral Tajerian, Associate Professor
PhD, McGill University
Research interests: Brain physiology, extracellular matrix plasticity, chronic pain
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office E104 │ Lab E101
Phone 718-997-3437
maral.tajerian@qc.cuny.edu
Website
Mika Vesanen, Lecturer
PhD, University of Helsinki
Research interests: Virology, immunology, the biology of cancer, human anatomy and physiology
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office D332
mika.vesanen@qc.cuny.edu
John Waldman, Professor
PhD, CUNY-Graduate Center
Research interests: Ecology, evolution, conservation biology
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office D320
Phone 718-997-3603
john.waldman@qc.cuny.edu
Website
Daniel Weinstein, Professor and Dean of Faculty, School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
PhD, The Rockefeller University
Research interests: Vertebrate molecular embryology, mechanisms of cell fate suppression
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office E124 │ Lab E121
Phone 718-997-4552
daniel.weinstein@qc.cuny.edu
Website
Non-instructional Faculty
Xenia Freilich, Chief Laboratory Technician
PhD, CUNY-Graduate Center
Research interests: Evolution and phylogenetics of anurans
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office D340
Phone 718-997-XXXX
Xenia.Freilich@qc.cuny.edu
Salisa Hudson, Laboratory Technician
Research interests: Microbiology, Social and Environmental Justice
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office D318
Phone 718-997-3413
salisa.hudson@qc.cuny.edu
Alejandrina (Alexis) Scott, Laboratory Technician
BSc, CUNY-Queens College
Expertise: Biological experimentation, lab safety, lab techniques in biology, microbiology & biochemistry
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office B211
Phone 718-997-3418
Alejandrina.Scott@qc.cuny.edu
Jayson Slovak, Laboratory Technician
MSc, CUNY-City College
Research interests: Speciation and distribution of scorpions
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office D318
Phone 718-997-XXXX
Jayson.Slovak@qc.cuny.edu
Katherine Vegas, Laboratory Technician
CREDENTIALS PLACEHOLDER
Research interests: PLACEHOLDER
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office B211
Phone 718-997-3418
Katherine.Vegas@qc.cuny.edu
Staff
Nery Capellan, Administrative Executive
HS Diploma
Expertise: Departmental administration
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office D342
Phone 718-997-3400
Nery.Capellan@qc.cuny.edu
Katherine Chalco, Administrative Assistant
QC Biology Undergraduate student
Expertise: Departmental administration
Contact info
Science Bldg, Office D342
Phone 718-997-3400
Katherine.Chalco@qc.cuny.edu
Emeritus Faculty
Peter Chabora
PhD (Cornell University)
Research interests: Population ecology, evolution of parasite-host interactions
peter.chabora@qc.cuny.edu
Andrew Greller
PhD (Columbia University)
Research interests: Bioclimatology, forest ecology, tropical botany
agreller2@optonline.net
Roberta Koepfer
PhD (CUNY-Graduate Center)
Research interests: Speciation, behavioral ecology
roberta.koepfer@gmail.com
Corinne Michels
PhD (Columbia University)
Research interests: Molecular genetics, regulation of gene expression, yeast genetics
corinne.michels@qc.cuny.edu
Jared L Rifkin
PhD (Johns Hopkins University)
Research interests: Cell physiology, developmental mechanisms and chemotaxis in cellular slime molds
jaredlr@earthlink.net
Uldis Roze
PhD (Washington University)
Research interests: Natural history, mammalogy, biology of the porcupine
uldis.roze@verizon.net
Jeanne Szalay
PhD (Columbia University)
Research interests: Cancer biology
jeanneszalay@hotmail.com
Zahra Zakeri
PhD (St. John’s University)
Research interests: Molecular developmental biology, regulation of gene expression in cell death, development & disease
zahra.zakeri@qc.cuny.edu