People
Current Lab Members
Ned J. Place, Ph.D, M.D.
njp27@cornell.edu
Tel. 607-253-3796
Principal Investigator
:Dr. Place (a.k.a. Ned) came to Cornell University , College of Veterinary Medicine in September 2004 after completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California , Berkeley . He is an assistant professor in the Department of Population Medicine & Diagnostic Sciences and the Director of the Diagnostic Endocrinology Laboratory within the Animal Health Diagnostic Center . He received his Ph.D. in zoology at the University of Washington . Prior to entering graduate school he was in the private practice of medicine as a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist for 4 years in Waynesboro , VA. He completed his internship and residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Connecticut Health Center and he received his medical training from the University of Rochester . Other than a brief foray into the field of hematology and oncology while a medical student, he has maintained an interest in reproductive biology throughout his professional career. Having worked as a clinician and basic scientist, the breadth and depth of his experience in reproductive biology affords him the opportunity to integrate novel perspectives into his research. When new questions arise, he generates hypotheses and synthesizes ideas within the context of life history theory. Using this approach he has studied reproductive aging of Siberian hamsters in the lab, seasonal reproductive biology of yellow-pine chipmunks in the field, and sexual differentiation and behavior of spotted hyenas under semi-natural conditions. Each animal model has provided an interesting perspective into the life history trade-offs that are associated with the timing of hormone secretion and reproductive effort. Dr. Place takes an integrative approach to his research, which is often relevant from both an ecological and a biomedical perspective.
Sung-Un Park, M.S.
sp327@cornell.edu
Tel. 607-253-4361
Research Technician III (Lab Manager). Sung-Un has been with the lab since 2007 and provides specialized technical support and organization for the lab and performs integrative research studies on the effects of photoperiod and melatonin on female reproductive aging in Siberian hamsters.
Jenifer Cruickshank, Ph.D.
jc577@cornell.edu
Tel. 607-253-3018
Postdoctoral Associate. Jenifer joined the lab in 2007 and will be moving to a tenure-track faculty position at the State University of New York, Oswego in August 2009. She has diverse interests in reproduction and genomics and has studied a variety of species, including cows, dogs, and hamsters.
Olivia Diamond
omd5@cornell.edu
Undergraduate Researcher. Olivia joined the lab in 2007 and is a rising senior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences majoring in Biological Sciences. She is investigating the effects of short days on the expression uterine melatonin receptors and using immunohistochemistry to improve the accuracy of ovarian primordial follicle counts.
Heather Jones
hgj4@cornell.edu
Undergraduate Researcher. Heather joined the lab in 2008 and is a rising senior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences majoring in Biological Sciences. She is studying factors that are known to modulate ovarian follicle histology (Gdf9) and activation (Foxo3) to determine if they play a role in the short day-induced changes in ovarian structure and function in hamsters.
Cynthia Nunes Rodrigues, B.S.
cynthia.abrahao@gmail.com
Lab Assistant. Cynthia joined the lab in 2008 to pursue her desire to transition from the practice of medicine in Brazil to become a basic science researcher. She is investigating the effects of short days on ovarian histology in another photoperiodic species, the Turkish hamster.
Khawla Faud Ali
kha2003@qatar-med.cornell.edu
Undergraduate Researcher. Khawla is an undergraduate student from Weill-Cornell Medical College in Qatar. She will be joining the lab in the summer of 2009. She has chosen our lab because of her interest in mammalian reproductive science and its strong relevance to her future medical studies.
Tameeka Williams
trw46@cornell.edu
DVM/PhD Student: Tameeka has recently completed her first year of vet school at Cornell and has recently been accepted in the DVM/PhD dual degree program. She will be joining the lab in the summer of 2009 for her first lab rotation. Her interests are at the interface of vet medicine, conservation, and behavior.
Past Lab Members
Esther Kabithe, B.A.
ew77@cornell.edu
Research Technician III (Lab Manager): Esther left the lab in 2007 after developing an allergy to hamsters. She is now our neighbor in the Wagner Lab.
Adrien Phalen, B.S.
Undergraduate Researcher: Adrien graduated in 2008 and entered the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in the fall of that year. She spent several semesters in the lab and investigated ovarian development in different photoperiods.
Ron Wexler, B.S.
Undergraduate Researcher: Ron graduated in 2008 and entered the University of Rochester School of Medicine in the fall of that year. He spent several semesters in the lab and investigated uterine development in different photoperiods.
Loveleen Singh, B.S.
Undergraduate Researcher
:Loveleen graduated in 2008 and entered a Master of Public Health program at George Washington University in the fall of that year. She spent several semesters in the lab and investigated the effects of photoperiod on ovarian physiology.