Graduate Students

Emily Rogers

Ph.D. student, associated with the Center for Wildlife Health

Email: erogers7@utk.edu

Emily Rogers is a Graduate Research Assistant pursing a Ph.D. in Natural Resources under the direction of Drs. Ted Henry and Richard Strange.  She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Erskine College and a Master of Science degree in Environmental Toxicology from the University of Georgia. Emily’s Masters thesis research focused on the effects of pharmaceutical contaminants on amphibian development.  Prior to her arrival at the University of Tennessee, Emily was employed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Exposure Research Laboratory in Athens, Georgia, where she studied enantioselective bioaccumulation of conazole fungicides in small fish.

Emily’s dissertation research will examine the effects of toxic algal blooms on fish health. In recent years, the occurrence of toxic algal blooms in marine and freshwater environments has become a global ecological and public health concern. These blooms contain cyanobacteria that release toxins that have been associated with fish kills. The specific cyanotoxin that Emily’s research will focus on is microcystin-LR, a peptide produced by the freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. She will use microarray and RT-PCR to identify and monitor the response of selected biomarker genes in zebrafish and evaluate histological and reproductive effects of chronic laboratory exposures to environmentally-relevant concentrations of microcystin-LR. Similar experiments will also be conducted on a mesocosm scale using channel catfish, where biomarker and histological responses, as well as bioaccumulation potential of dietary exposure to microcystin-LR will be evaluated. Ultimately, tissue concentrations and biomarker and histological responses of fish collected from areas of Lake Erie affected by toxic algal blooms will be compared to lab and mesocosm studies to gain a better understanding of the processes influencing toxic effects in the field.

Emily grew up in Clinton, South Carolina, a small town near Greenville. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, camping, kayaking and playing the violin.