Curriculum Vitae
Professional Experience
(2010) - Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio 44118.
(2007-2010) – National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia 23529. Dr. Alan H. Savitzky, advisor.
(2007) – Postdoctoral Researcher, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199. Dr. Maureen A. Donnelly, advisor.
(2003-2007) – Graduate Student, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892. Drs. John W. Daly, H. Martin Garraffo, & Thomas F. Spande, advisors.
Education
(2007) – Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199. Dr. Maureen A. Donnelly, advisor.
Dissertation title, “The relationship between alkaloid-based chemical defenses and diet in dendrobatid poison frogs”.
(2002) – Organization for Tropical Studies, Tropical Biology: An Ecological Approach, Field Course (OTS 02-03), Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica.
(2000) – B.S. in Biological Sciences (Honors), Minor in Chemistry, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199.
Academic Publications
Saporito, R.A., Donnelly, M.A., Spande, T.F., and Garraffo, H.M. (2011) A review of chemical ecology in poison frogs. Chemoecology, published online, September 9.
Saporito, R.A., Isola, M., Maccachero, V.C., Condon, K.W., and Donnelly, M.A. (2010) Ontogenetic scaling of poison glands in a dendrobatid poison frog. Journal of Zoology, 282(2010): 238-245.
Andriamaharavo, N.R., Garraffo, H.M., Saporito, R.A., Daly, J.W., Razafindrakoto, C., Andriantsiferana, M. and Spande, T.F. (2010) Roughing it: A mantellid poison frog shows greater alkaloid diversity in some disturbed habitats. Journal of Natural Products 73(3): 322-330.
Saporito, R.A., Donnelly, M.A., Madden, A.A., Garraffo, H.M., and Spande, T.F. (2010) Sex-related differences in alkaloid defenses of the dendrobatid frog Oophaga pumilio from Cayo Nancy, Bocas del Toro, Panama. Journal of Natural Products 73(3): 317-321.
Daly, J.W., Ware, N., Saporito, R.A., Spande, T.F., and Garraffo, H.M. (2009) N-Methyldecahydroquinolines: An unexpected class of alkaloid from Amazonian poison frogs (Dendrobatidae). Journal of Natural Products 72(6): 1110-1114.
Saporito, R.A., Spande, T.F., Garraffo, H.M., and Donnelly, M.A. (2009) Arthropod alkaloids in poison frogs: A review of the ‘dietary hypothesis’. Heterocycles 79(1): 277-297.
Daly, J.W., Garraffo, H.M., Spande, T.F., Giddings, L.A., Saporito, R.A., Vieites, D.R., and Vences, M. (2008) Geographic variation of skin alkaloids among individuals of three species of Madagascan poison frogs (Mantella). Journal of Chemical Ecology 34(2): 252-279.
Saporito, R.A., Zuercher, R., Roberts, M., Gerrow, K.G. and Donnelly, M.A. (2007) Experimental evidence for aposematism in the poison frog Oophaga pumilio. Copeia 4: 1006-1011.
Saporito, R.A., Donnelly, M.A., Jain, P., Garraffo, H.M., Spande, T.F., and Daly, J.W. (2007) Spatial and temporal patterns of alkaloid variation in the poison frog Oophaga pumilio in Costa Rica and Panama over 30 years. Toxicon 50(6): 757-778.
Saporito, R.A. (2007) Gymnopis multiplicata (Purple Caecilian), Micrurus mipartitus (Many-banded Coral Snake). Predator prey interactions. Herpetological Review 38(2): 199.
Saporito, R.A., Donnelly, M.A., Norton, R., Garraffo, H.M., Spande, T.F., and Daly, J.W. (2007) Oribatid mites as a new and significant source of alkaloids in poison frogs. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 104(21): 8885-8890.
Saporito, R.A., Donnelly, M.A., Garraffo, H.M., Spande, T.F. and Daly, J.W. (2006) Geographic and seasonal variation in alkaloid-based chemical defenses of Dendrobates pumilio from Bocas del Toro, Panama. Journal of Chemical Ecology 32(4): 795-814.
Saporito, R.A., Garraffo, H.M., Donnelly, M.A., Edwards, A.L., Longino, J. T., and Daly, J.W. (2004) Formicine ants: An arthropod source for the pumiliotoxin alkaloids of dendrobatid frogs. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 101(21): 8045-8050.
Saporito, R.A., Donnelly, M.A., Hoffman, R.L., Garraffo, H.M., and Daly, J.W. (2003) A siphonotid millipede (Rhinotus) as the source for the spiropyrrolizidine oximes of dendrobatid frogs. Journal of Chemical Ecology 9(12): 2781-2786.
Fellowships and Grants
· John Carroll University, Summer Research Fellowship (2010) – $3,000
· National Science Foundation, Minority Postdoctoral Fellowship (PI)(2007-2010) – $186,000
· National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Courtesy Appointment (2003-2008) – $1,500 (each research visit)
· National Geographic Society, Research Grant (co-PI) (2007) – $15,000
· Florida International University, Dissertation Year Fellowship (2006) – $22,900
· Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Short Term Research Fellowship (2005) – $4,000
· Organization for Tropical Studies, Research Fellowship (2005) – $3,000
· U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, MAI Fellowship for Graduate Study (2002-2004) – $68,000
· The Explorers Club, Research Grant (2002) – $1,200
Academic Presentations
Colombo, P., Grant, T., Verrastro, L. and Saporito, R.A. (2011) Geographic and individual variation in alkaloid-based chemical defenses of the red-bellied toad Melanophryniscus simplex (Anura, Bufonidae). Joint Meetings of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (JMIH), Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Hantak, M., Donnelly, M.A., and Saporito, R.A. (2011) Geographic differences in diet of the poison frog Oophaga pumilio from Costa Rica and Panama. JMIH, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Berg, T. and Saporito, R.A. (2011) Predation in the dendrobatid frog Oophaga pumilio: Does frog size matter? JMIH, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Maccachero, V.C., Saporito, R.A., Guyer, C., and Donnelly, M.A. (2011) Amphibians and reptiles at the La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica: Assemblage variation through space and time. JMIH, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Saporito, R.A., Isola, M., Maccachero, V.C., Condon, K., and Donnelly, M.A. (2010) Ontogenetic scaling of poison glands in a dendrobatid poison frog. JMIH, Providence, Rhode Island.
Hegna, R.H., Saporito, R.A., and Donnelly, M.A. (2010) Aposematism in the dendrobatid poison frog Oophaga pumilio: The importance of contrasting colors and frog density on natural predation. JMIH, Providence, Rhode Island.
Saporito, R.A. (2009) Alkaloids in poison frogs: A reflection of alkaloid diversity in arthropods. American Society of Pharmacognosy, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Kenison, E.K. and Saporito, R.A. (2009) Further studies of predation and aposematism in the dendrobatid frog, Oophaga pumilio, from northeastern Costa Rica. Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Boston, Massachusetts.
Saporito, R.A. (2008) Chemical ecology of dendrobatids: A review of dietary arthropods and their contribution to chemical defense. 6th World Congress of Herpetology (WCH), Dendrobatid Frog Biology Symposium, Manaus, Brazil.
Daly, J.W., Garraffo, H.M., Spande, T.F., Giddings, L.A., N. Rabe Andriamaharavo, Saporito, R.A., Vieites, D.R., and Vences, M. (2008) Variation in alkaloid-based chemical defenses of Madagascan poison frogs (Mantella). 6th WCH, Sequestered Defensive Compounds in Tetrapod Vertebrates Symposium, Manaus, Brazil.
Donnelly, M.A., Saporito, R.A., and Daly, J.W. (2008) A review of diet and toxicity in a tropical poison frog. 6th WCH, Defensive Tactics in Amphibians & Reptiles Symposium, Manaus, Brazil.
Saporito, R.A., Savitzky, A.H., Mori, A., Hutchinson, D.A., Meinwald, J.A., Schroeder, F.C. (2008) Variation in bufadienolide-based chemical defenses of the natricine snake, Rhabdophis tigrinus, in Japan. Joint Meetings of Ichthyologists & Herpetologists (JMIH), Montreal, Canada.
Saporito, R.A., Zuercher, R., Roberts, M., Gerrow, K.G. and Donnelly, M.A. (2007) Experimental evidence for aposematism in the poison frog Oophaga pumilio. JMIH, St. Louis, Missouri.
Roberts, M., Zuercher, R., and Saporito, R.A. (2007) Color variation in populations of Dendrobates pumilio at the La Selva Biological Research Station, Costa Rica. Annual Meeting of the Society of Wetland Scientists, Sacramento, California.
Saporito, R.A. (2006) Oribatid mites: A new and significant source of alkaloids in poison frogs. JMIH, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Saporito, R.A. and Donnelly, M.A. (2005) Geographic and temporal variation in alkaloid chemical defense of the dendrobatid frog, Dendrobates pumilio. JMIH, Tampa, Florida.
Saporito, R.A. (2004) Formicine ants and siphonotid millipedes: Arthropod sources for alkaloids in poison frogs and toads. JMIH, Norman, Oklahoma.
Saporito, R.A., Donnelly, M.A., and Daly, J.W. (2003) Alkaloid variation in Dendrobates pumilio on Isla Bastimentos, Bocas del Toro Province, Panama. JMIH, Manaus, Brazil.
Saporito, R.A., Condon, K., and Donnelly, M.A. (2000) Ontogenetic scaling of poison glands in Dendrobates pumilio. JMIH, La Paz, Mexico.
Invited Research Seminars
(2010) - Occidental College, Los Angeles, California.
(2010) - California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, California.
(2010) - California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California.
(2010) - John Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio.
(2005-2011) - Organization for Tropical Studies, La Selva Biological Research Station, Sarapiquí, Costa Rica.
(2008) - Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
(2008) - Promata Biological Research Station, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
(2007) - Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
(2003-2005) - Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Bocas del Toro Research Station, Isla Colon, Panama.
Academic Service
· Committee Member, American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, GAIGE Award (2010-2013)
· Peer Reviewer – Amphibia-Reptilia, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Biology Letters, Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Herpetologica, Herpetological Journal,
Herpetological Review, Journal of Herpetology, Journal of the Royal Society Interface, National Geographic Society, National Science Foundation,
Salamandra (2006-Present)
· Board of Governors, American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (2008-2012)
· Moderator, Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (2004-2010)
· Panel Member, Fall 2009 Biodiversity Surveys and Inventories and Revisionary Systematics Panel, Division of Environmental Biology, National
Science Foundation (2009)
· Committee Member, Graduate Student Committee for the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (2006-2007)
· President, Herpetology Club, Florida International University (2006-2007)
· Treasurer, Herpetology Club, Florida International University (2004, 2006)
· Secretary, Herpetology Club, Florida International University (2003, 2005)
· President, Biology Graduate Student Association, Florida International University (2004-2005)
· Secretary, Biology Graduate Student Association, Florida International University (2003)