NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2016

Stein Laura R, Fort Collins CO

Investigators

Abstract

Postdoctoral Fellow: Laura R. Stein Proposal Number: 1611874 This award funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2016, Broadening Participation of Groups Underrepresented in Biology. The fellowship supports a research and training plan that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. The title of the research plan for this fellowship to Laura R. Stein is "Synthesizing mechanistic and functional explanations for the role of maternal effects in adaptation." The host institution for this fellowship is Colorado State University, and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Kim Hoke. This fellowship research assesses the causes and consequences of maternal effects, using Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) as a model organism and incorporating behavioral, hormonal, neurobiological, and genomic approaches. Previous research shows that experiences early in life (or as an embryo) can shape the development of morphology, physiology, and behavior of the organisms, and can facilitate adaptive evolution if these experiences help individuals survive in novel environments. Individuals receive information about their environment via their evolutionary history (genetics), their own experiences, and from their parents (parental effects). While existing theory describes how individuals should integrate these sometimes conflicting sources of information, few experimental tests exist to determine the extent to which individuals use different cues to arrive at different developmental outcomes and whether these outcomes enhance survival and reproduction. The Fellow's research will be one of the few studies to bridge neurobiological and behavioral ecological fields to develop a holistic view of the development of behavior from micro to macro levels. Understanding how organisms integrate information at multiple levels (genetic, parental experience, and their own experience) is crucial for understanding how the environment plays a role in evolutionary patterns. This project is developing a rigorous and integrative framework that will inform understanding about maternal effects as a generator of variation in evolutionary processes. The Fellow is developing resources for STEM education at low-income schools in northern Colorado. These schools do not currently have STEM programs, and the majority of students are from groups underrepresented in STEM fields. In collaboration with district teachers, the Fellow is developing a hands-on component to their new STEM program and building upon existing programs, utilizing guppies as a resource for teaching about the scientific method, ecology, and evolution. To further refine her teaching skills, the Fellow is holding training workshops for graduate students on public communication and outreach, culminating in presentations at the schools and establishing lasting ties between the schools and Colorado State University, the host institution. This work is providing students from underrepresented groups with role models representing scientists of different backgrounds and paths to science careers, and with exposure to scientific inquiry that would otherwise be unavailable. Finally, while women are now well-represented in the life sciences through graduate school, attrition rates remain high at the postdoctoral stage. In collaboration with social scientists and STEM educators, the Fellow is evaluating two approaches aimed at reducing imposter syndrome by creating two types of peer-mentoring clusters for female faculty, postdocs, and graduate students. Assessments are being used to tailor the program for future years to provide a reproducible framework that can be implemented across departments and institutions.