BioScience Alliance: Alumns

I performed my research at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo under my advisor, Dr. Kristen Lukas. I am interested in understanding the effects of the zoo environment on animal welfare, and in finding new ways to measure animal welfare. My research focused on the five bear species housed at the Zoo, and I examined how various factors in the environment affected their behavior and welfare, including season and visitor density, and management strategies, such as habitat rotation and access off-exhibit. I also worked with the Animal Programs team to test the feasibility of cognitive bias as a measure of positive welfare in grizzly bears using a touchscreen paradigm. Finally, I conducted an evaluation of the Zoo’s Animal Welfare Process as seen through its application to bears.

Before starting my PhD, I received my Master’s degree from the University of Chicago and worked as a research assistant at the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, IL. During my time there I honed my interest in zoo animal behavior, cognition, and welfare. When I was ready to continue my education, I applied to this program specifically for the unique opportunities provided by the Bioscience Alliance. The ability to pursue my PhD through Case Western Reserve University by conducting research at the Zoo while simultaneously being trained as a zoo professional has allowed me to gain skills, knowledge, and perspective that would have otherwise been out of reach. Further, the network of colleagues and mentors that I have gained through my time in this program has been invaluable as I have finished my doctoral work and am ready to move on to the next stage of my career. 

Sharon C. Danielson, PhD

Medeiros lab, hosted jointly by Case Western Reserve University and Holden Arboretum

My research interests include plant physiology, ecology, and evolution. Specifically, I am investigating how the urban environment shapes forest communities and alters tree trait diversity. I also have a special interest in plant water transport strategies as a key to understanding what species will thrive in urban areas. 

Before starting my PhD, I was an intern at the Holden Arboretum studying the physiology and evolution of Rhododendrons with Dr. Medeiros. Through the Bioscience Alliance, I had the opportunity to pursue a PhD at Case Western Reserve while exploring my interests and honing my skills a physiologist in Dr. Medeiros’ lab at the Holden Arboretum. The collaboration between Case Western Reserve and the Holden Arboretum has provided me with an experience specifically catered to my research interests. Not only are my research interests satiated, but I have the unique opportunity to view science from an academic perspective at Case Western Reserve, as well as through the lens of a non-profit organization that, in addition to research, is dedicated to community outreach and conservation. Perhaps the most valuable aspect of this collaboration, is that it has broadened my network of research collaborators and mentors.

Alexa Wagner, PhD

Stuble lab, hosted jointly by Case Western Reserve University and Holden Arboretum

I am interested in understanding the relationships between organisms in our natural areas and how these relationships can inform best practices in restoration. My research will investigate how forest management of northern hardwood forests impacts the performance and demography of native and non-native understory plants and how various ecological interactions, including deer and insect herbivory, can further drive composition and structure of plant communities. 

My scientific career was cultivated through early opportunities at institutions included in the BioScience Alliance partnership. From animal care at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, to volunteer assistance of research collections at Cleveland Museum of Natural History Museum, each institution shaped my biological viewpoint and fostered my scientific discovery. Holden Arboretum provided invaluable undergraduate research experience that ultimately led me to pursue my graduate degree. The partnership between these public-facing institutions will continue to benefit my scientific training by providing the opportunity for me to learn from and collaborate with professors and other graduate students at CWRU, as well as scientists across every institution, all while simultaneously encouraging the need to enhance scientific communication to the public. 

I am a conservation scientist whose work centers on the intersection of research, education, and wildlife conservation. Trained as a biologist through the BioScience Alliance between Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, I earned my Ph.D. studying how diet and host phylogeny influence gut microbiome composition and health in colobine monkeys. My broader research interests include animal nutrition and energetics, gut microbial ecology, and locomotion. As Conservation Curator at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, I support conservation partnerships and programs that advance the Zoo's conservation mission. My experience spans field and zoo-based research, conservation, and education, providing opportunities to collaborate with researchers, students, and conservation practitioners. I am particularly interested in applied conservation science and scientific capacity building, with a focus on supporting collaborative approaches to conservation and creating opportunities for student and professional development. Throughout my career, I have contributed to conservation and research initiatives while teaching, mentoring, and supporting training programs that help build conservation capacity.

I conducted my dissertation research at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo under Dr. Pam Dennis. The work was driven by my interests in the physiological drivers of behavior and how they relate to animal management and welfare in zoo settings. My research focused on the investigation of physiological mechanisms of regurgitation and reingestion in zoo-housed gorillas. As this behavior has never been observed in wild populations, one of the objectives of my work was to determine why it is prevalent in zoo gorillas. Specifically, the applied work examined whether insulin resistance plays a role in the development and maintenance of this behavior. Upon graduating, I was hired as the Conservation and Research Fellow at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. My current research expands my dissertation work and aims to further explore the pathophysiology of regurgitation and reingestion and examine the association between insulin resistance and cardiac disease in the zoo-housed gorilla population.