Dr. Charles Nunn is Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology and Global Health. Charlie uses evolutionary approaches to understand and improve human and animal health. He and his research group investigate the ecology of infectious disease, the evolution of sleep, and the links between ecology, evolution and global health. They investigate these topics using phylogenetic methods, mathematical modeling, and fieldwork in Madagascar, Kenya and other locations.
Dr Charles Nunn, Director (Duke University)
Dr. Jason Somarelli is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine and Director of Research for the Duke Comparative Oncology Group. He studies cancer through the lens of ecological and evolutionary paradigms. He is also passionate about mentoring and serves as the Director for the Duke Scholars in Marine Medicine Program, an undergraduate mentored research program at the intersection of the marine environment and human health.
Dr Jason Somarelli, Associate Director (Duke University)
Jennifer Hurtgen is a Project Planner II in the Research Project Management Core in the Office of Research Initiatives at Duke University. Her role allows her to help faculty from diverse disciplines accomplish their meaningful work. She specializes in coordination, planning, project management, and collaboration. Her experience in academic research coordination began at UNC in the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute and the Carolina Pop Center before joining teams at the Sanford School of Public Policy. She now supports faculty across Duke University and on multi-institutional teams. She is delighted to work alongside faculty to help accomplish TriCEM’s goals.
Jennifer Hurtgen, Assistant Director (Duke University)
Dr. Brian Wiegmann is William Neal Reynolds Professor of Entomology at North Carolina State University. His research involves the phylogeny and evolution of flies and other insects using genomic data and phylogenetic analysis tools. A major goal is elucidating the genetic changes and adaptations that accompany or cause species biodiversity. Projects in the Wiegmann lab involve comparing genes and genomes in flies with specialized feeding habits—especially those that affect humans and livestock as blood feeders and disease vectors, such as mosquitoes, horse flies, sand flies, and stable flies.
Dr Brian Wiegmann, Associate Director (NC State University)
Dr. Antonio T. Baines is a cancer pharmacologist interested in identifying and validating novel molecular targets in cancer for potential therapeutic interventions. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, with a joint appointment in the Cancer Research Program at North Carolina Central University’s Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute (BBRI) and adjunct Associate Professor in Pharmacology at UNC-Chapel Hill. He studies numerous molecular targets that are involved in pancreatic cancer, such as aberrant cell growth and drug resistance
Dr Tony Baines, Associate Director (NC Central University)
Julie Horvath, PhD, is a Senior Research Scientist at the Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and works in partnership with the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. She is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at NC State University, and she is a member of the Research Leadership Team for the UNC Center for Galapagos Studies. Her research uses evolutionary and comparative approaches to explore primate genomics and the connection between host and microbial genetics and the impact on health and behavior. Additionally, she is experienced in team science, science communication, and participatory science projects that engage thousands of students and the public in her genetics and skin microbiome research on human and animal health and well-being. She is passionate about broadening STEM training and engaging students and the public in scientific research that impacts their daily lives.
Dr Julie Horvath, Associate Director (NC Museum of Natural Sciences)
Dr. Corbin Jones is a Professor in the Biology Department as well as a Professor of the Carolina Center for Genome Sciences (CCGS). The goal of his research is to identify, clone, and characterize the evolution of genes underlying natural adaptations in order to determine the types of genes involved, how many, and what types of genetic changes occurred, and the evolutionary history of these changes. His lab aims to develop new methods relevant to the study of evolutionary genomics including theoretical, bioinformatic and statistical approaches.
Dr Corbin Jones, Associate Director (UNC Chapel Hill)
Dr. Joseph L. Graves Jr. is a Professor of Biological Sciences at North Carolina Agricultural and State University, and a former associate dean for research at the Joint School for Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, which is jointly administered by NC A&T and UNC Greensboro. His current research includes the genomics of adaptation, specifically the response of bacteria to metallic and metallic oxide nanoparticles. Additional applications of his research has been to the evolutionary theory of aging, as well as biological and social conceptions of race in humans. He has written two books and numerous peer-reviewed articles on these subjects.
