DR. JANICE KRUMM

Assistant Professor of Biology

e-mail: jlkrumm@widener.edu

webpage: http://www.science.widener.edu/~krumm

office location: Kirkbride Hall 314

phone: 610-499-4264

fax: 610-499-4496

B.S. (hons) in Zoology, Lyman Briggs School from Michigan State University

Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology from the University of California Riverside

Courses Taught:

Zoology, Host Parasite Co-evolution, Research Methods and Analysis, Biological Concepts I: Principles of Evolution and Ecology (lab), Biological Concepts II: Plant and Animal Structure and Function (lab), Principles of Biological Systems

Research Interests:

My research interests include the evolution of life history traits in unpredictable ephemeral habitats.  The fairy shrimp Branchinecta lindahli live in temporary pools in western North America.  I am interested in how female B. lindahli have adapted to living in an aquatic habitat that is highly unpredictable in its longevity.  This includes potential behavioral responses to changes in physical or chemical environmental conditions.

I am also interested in the influence of parasite transmission mechanisms on host-parasite interactions.  The fitness of vertically transmitted parasites transmitted solely from parent to offspring is linked to the survival and reproductive success of their hosts.  However, conflicts between host and parasite may still exist in areas such as host sex determination.  I am interested in how feminization of hosts affects the underlying genetic sex determination mechanisms of the hosts.