Sara V. Brant
Research Assistant Professor Office: 1(505) 277-2517
Department of Biology Lab: 1(505) 277-3134
167 Castetter Hall Fax: 1(505) 277-0304
Albuquerque, NM 87131 E-mail: sbrant@unm.edu
RESEARCH INTERESTS
My general
research interests are phylogenetics and phylogeography of both hosts and their
helminths and the coevolutionary (both ecological and historical) mechanisms
responsible for their maintenance. The current focus of my research is to study
the systematics and evolutionary history of schistosomes. In particular, I am
interested in the systematics of the species of North American Trichobilharzia, which occurs in ducks. A second
interest is to expand what we know of the diversity of schistosomes through
focused collections of the definitive hosts and extensive snail surveys here in
North America and elsewhere.
EDUCATION
1996-2002 Ph.D. School of Biological Sciences, University of
Nebraska-Lincoln. Dissertation:
"Phylogeographic relationships among short-tailed shrews (Blarina) and two species of parasites:
Coevolutionary implications". Advisor: Dr.
Guillermo Ort’
1994-1996 M.S. School of
Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Thesis: "Systematics
of the genus Litomosoides Chandler, 1931 (Nematoda: Onchocercidae)". Advisor: Dr. Scott
Gardner
1991-1994 B. S. Department of
Zoology, University of California, Davis. Major: Zoology.
POSITIONS
2006-present Research Assistant
Professor
2003-2006 Postdoctoral Fellow with
Dr. Eric S. Loker, Dept. Biology,
University of New Mexico. Coevolutionary relationships among Trichobilharzia and their intermediate and
definitive hosts.
2002-2003 Postdoctoral Fellow with Dr.
Mark Hafner, Museum of Natural History, Louisiana State University. This
one-year position is to study the coevolution of Geomydoecus lice on Geomys, Cratogeomys and Pappogeomys.
DETAILS OF RESEARCH PROJECTS AND COLLABORATORS