EDUCATION
University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland May 2007- March 2012
PhD candidate in Physiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biosciences
Dissertation topic: Senescence Ecology: Aging in a Population of Wild Brown Mouse Lemurs (Microcebus rufus).
Providing an integrative, ecologically informed understanding of senescence in a wild population of mouse lemurs, to better understand the evolutionary impetus of aging and associated physiological shifts.
Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan September 2002- Dec 2006
BSc Magna cum laude
Major: Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
Specialization: Medical Microbiology and Immunology
AWARDS and HONORS
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ScienceNOW (AAAS) article featuring research: http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2012/01/scienceshot-lice-reveal-clandest.html |
Jan 6, 2012 |
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Viikki Graduate School in Biosciences post doc visitation grant |
May, 2012 |
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Harvard Modern Methods in Biostatistics and Epidemiology program scholarship |
June, 2012 |
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European Union Marie Curie PhD Fellowship (3 year duration) |
April 2007-March 2010 |
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HHMI Mouse Lemur Workshop, invited speaker |
June, 2011 |
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Field work highlighted in NSF Funded “Parasite of the Day” website |
Nov 24, 2010 |
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HHMI research expedition grant with PI Mark Krasnow, Stanford University |
June-July 2010 |
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University of Helsinki Dissertation Completion grant |
Dec 2011-Feb 2012 |
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Sigrid Juselius grant graduate student funding |
Feb 2010-current |
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University of Helsinki Chancellor’s Travel Grant |
Sep 2010 |
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Invited co-author of book chapter “Nocturnal Lemuriformes” |
April 2010 |
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Award for Outstanding Presentation: Marie Curie Conference, ESOF 2008 |
July 2008 |
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European Animal Handling and Experimentation Certification |
April 2009 |
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Oral Presentation featured in the Journal of Evolutionary Anthropology |
January 2008 |
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Research featured on Italian television series Missione Natura: http://www.la7.it/missionenatura/pvideo-stream?id=i28291U |
June 2008 |
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Michigan State University Dean’s List |
Sep 2002-Dec 2006 |
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NIH funded summer internship, Tulane National Primate Research Center |
May- Sep 2006 |
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Michigan State Undergraduate Research Scholarship |
Dec 2003-Aug 2005 |
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RISE (Research in Science and Engineering Fellowship) |
May- July 2003 |
PROFESSIONAL AND SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS
American Association of Physical Anthropologists (AAPA)
International Primatological Society (IPS)
Marie Curie Fellowship Association (MCFA)
The American Physiological Society (APS)
American Society of Parasitologists (ASP)
American Society of Primatologists (ASP)
Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB)
Division Memberships: Division of Animal Behavior (DAB), Division of Comparative Endocrinology (DCE), Division of Ecology and Evolution (DEE), Division of Vertebrate Morphology (DVM)
RESEARCH AND LAB EXPERIENCE
Doctoral dissertation research – Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar Sep 2007 – current 4-6 month annual capture seasons. Implementing capture/recapture microchipping techniques. Collecting dental molds, fecal hormone, parasite, and genetics samples with the ultimate goal of estimating ages in wild brown mouse lemurs. Using longitudinal data to examine aging in a natural habitat and physiological context.
Doctoral dissertation research – Institute of Biotechnology-Helsinki, Finland April 2007 – current Using microscopy and 3-D laser scanning on dental molds. Regression analysis conducted to predict the ages of wild mouse lemurs on the basis of exposed dentine on the second madibular molar. Analyzing parasite samples using electron microscopy and imaged for further morphological analysis.
Doctoral dissertation research - University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA April 2009 – July 2009 At the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center Assay Services Unit (Dr. Toni Ziegler) in collaboration with Dr. Stacey Tecot. Processing fecal samples from the field; developing and implementing hormone assays for testosterone, di-hydrotestosterone, and cortisol.
Dental Morphology Research – Institute of Biotechnology- Helsinki, Finland April 2007 – May 2008
Scanning tooth rows of bamboo-feeding animals using 3-D laser scanning. Analysis of point clouds for dental complexity using Surfer GIS software. Compiling feeding data, IUCN Redlist information, and climate data for a paper on the bamboo feeding animals and their vulnerability due to dental complexity and climate change.
Undergraduate Research-Michigan State University - East Lansing, MI, USA Sep 2004 – Apr 2006 Assessing the importance of acid motility in the peptic ulcer causing bacterium, Helicobacter pylori. Working on purification of urease accessory protein, ure G.
NIH Fellowship at the Tulane National Primate Research Center - Covington, LA May 2006 -Sep 2006 Developing an ethogram and examining age-dependent behavioral changes in socially housed female rhesus macaques.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Introduction to Parasitology, course coordinator and instructor Fall 2011
Animal Models in Biomedical Research, HBGS course Feb, 2011 Human Fossil Records, Kumpula course, lecturer Feb, 2011
English as a Second Language (Madagascar) Sep-Nov, 2009, 2010
Lectures in Laboratory Animal Science, lecturer 2010, 2011
The ABC's of Animal Experimentation FELASA certification course, lecturer 2009, 2010, 2011
Immunology Teaching Assistant August- December 2006 Microbiology Teaching Assistant January -May 2006 Advanced Microbiology Lab Teaching Assistant Sep -Dec 2006
INVITED LECTURER
University of Hannover Monday Seminar Series in Zoological Sciences Nov 16, 2011
Howard Hughes Medical Institute: Mouse Lemur Workshop June 24, 2011
Stony Brook University Madagascar Study Abroad Program 2007, 2008, 2009 Tvärminne Biological Sciences Meeting 2008
Centre ValBio Annual Consortium Meeting 2007, 2008
Björn Kurten Club 2007, 2011 CalTech Visit to University of Helsinki 2009
University of Helsinki RESPECT course in Madagascar 2009
American Embassy in Madagascar 2009
SUPERVISED STUDENTS
Master's/DEA
completion:
Toky Hery Rakotoarinivo, University of Antananarivo, Madagascar: Food availability and seasonal fluctuations
in body mass in two populations of
wild brown mouse lemurs (Microcebus rufus) Nov 2008-Dec 2009
Undergraduate Research Projects:
Yelena Dyatel, Stony Brook University Buffalo: Parasites of the brown mouse lemur (Microcebus rufus) Oct 2007
Amy Yu, Stony Brook University: Dietary
habits of mouse lemurs in disturbed and undisturbed habitats Oct 2007
Daniel Alvarez, Stony Brook University: Pupillary movement and optical Senescence in
Microcebus rufus Oct
2008
Kara Leimberger, Duke University Pollination
patterns of brown mouse lemurs (Microcebus rufus) Oct
2009
LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
Fluent: English, Malagasy, Spanish, Arabic
Intermediate: French
TECHNIQUES
Field: Animal handling procedures, biological material (salivary, fecal, hair, and blood) collection and storage, anesthesia, microchipping, dental molding techniques, biological health assessments, phenology, GPS and remote sensing, transect establishment techniques, trapping, radio- tracking, dietary analysis, ethogram composition, parasite analysis (modified Baermann's, McMaster flotation, pinworm extraction, coproculture, etc), light-trap insect capture.
Lab: Immunohistochemistry: ELISA, indirect ELISA, hormone assay development, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cryo-sectioning, epoxy embedding, tissue culturing, paraffin embedding, DNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis, aseptic technique, microbial culture, stereomicroscopy techniques, parasite clearing. 3-D methods: Hawk laser scanning, 3-D image manipulation software (Surfer, Surfer Manipulator, Rhino, MF Works).
PUBLICATIONS
Zohdy S. Senescence Ecology: Aging in a Population of Wild Brown Mouse Lemurs (Microcebus rufus). 2012. PhD thesis, University of Helsinki Press.
Zohdy S, Kemp A, Durden L, Wright PC, and Jernvall J. Mapping the Social Network: Tracking lice in a wild primate population (Microcebus rufus) to infer social contacts and vector potential. 2012. (in press)
Zohdy S, Blanco MB, Gerber B, Tecot S, Wright PC, and Jernvall J. Wild Brown Mouse lemurs live past captive age of senescence. 2012. (submitted)
Durden L*, Zohdy S*, and Laakkonen J. 2010. Lice and Ticks of the Eastern Rufous Mouse Lemur, Microcebus rufus, with Descriptions of the Male and Third Instar Nymph of Lemurpediculus verruculosus. Journal of Parasitology. October 2010, Vol. 96, No. 5, pp. 874-878
Zohdy S and Atsalis S. 2012. The Nocturnal Lemuriformes. Robert W. Sussman (ed). Primate Ecology and Social Organization series 2nd Edition. University of Chicago Press (in press)
King SJ, Boyer DM, Tecot S, Zohdy S, Strait SG, Blanco, MB, Wright PC, Jernvall J. Lemur Habitat and Dental Senescence in Ranomafana National Park. 2011. American Journal of Physical Anthropology. (in press)
Wright PC, Erhart EM, Tecot S, Baden AL, Arrigo-Nelson SJ, Herrera J, Morelli TL, Blanco M, Deppe A, Atsalis S, Johnson S, Ratelolahy F, Tan C, and Zohdy S. Long-Term Lemur Research at Centre Valbio, Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar. 2012. P.M. Kappeler and D.P. Watts (eds.), Long-Term Field Studies of Primates, DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-22514-7_4, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012.
Crowley BE, Thorén S, Rasoazanabary E,. Barrett MA, Zohdy S, Blanco MB, McGoogan KC, Arrigo-Nelson SJ, Irwin MT, Vogel ER, Wright PC, Radespiel U, Godfrey LR, Koch PL, and Dominy NJ. 2011. Geographic isotopic variation among mouse lemur (Microcebus) populations. Journal of Biogeography. 38, 2106-2121.
(* denotes shared authorship)
CHAIRED SYMPOSIA AND SESSIONS
Live long and Prosper! What affects longevity in non-human primates? Co-chair with Dr. Ute Radespiel. IPS XXIV Congress México 2012
MEETING ABSTRACTS
Zohdy S. A Wild Tale About Old Age. Marie Curie Conference, European Science Open Forum 2008. Barcelona, Spain.
Zohdy, S, Evans, AR, Jernvall, J, Wright, PC. Greater, Woolly, and Giant: What it Takes for Bears Rodents and Lemurs to Eat Bamboo Prosimians Congress. 2007. Ithala, South Africa.
Zohdy, S, Evans, AR, Jernvall, J, Wright, PC. Roughing it: What it Takes for Bears, Rodents and Lemurs to Eat Bamboo American Association of Physical Anthropologists. 2008. Cleveland, OH. American Association of Physical Anthropologists. American Journal of Physical Anthropology Suppl 46:228.
King SJ, Zohdy, S, Evans, AR, Godfrey, LR Jernvall, J, Wright, PC. Senescence in wild lemurs: does it happen? 2008. Cleveland, OH. American Association of Physical Anthropologists. American Journal of Physical Anthropology Suppl 46:228.
Zohdy S, King SJ, Blanco MB, Wright PC, Jernvall, J. Longevity in the Brown Mouse Lemur: Old but not Mousy. 2009. Chicago, IL, USA. American Association of Physical Anthropologists. American Journal of Physical Anthropology Suppl 48:280.
Tecot S, Zohdy S, King SJ, Jernvall J, Wright PC. Wimpy Males and Formidable Females: Testosterone Levels in Propithecus edwardsi. 2010. Albuquerque, NM, USA. American Association of Physical Anthropologists. American Journal of Physical Anthropology Suppl 50:251.
Zohdy S, Tecot S, King SJ, Blanco MB, Wright PC, Jernvall, J. Wild Brown Mouse Lemurs Live Long and Propsper. 2010. Albuquerque, NM, USA. American Association of Physical Anthropologists. American Journal of Physical Anthropology Suppl 50:251.
Zohdy S, Rakotoarinivo TH, Carag J, Wright PC, Jernvall J. Parasite burden as a tool to assess immunosenescence in wild brown mouse lemurs (Microcebus rufus). 2010. Kyoto, Japan. International Primatological Society Meeting.
Zohdy S, Tecot S, Wright PC, Jernvall J. Assessment of fecal testosterone and cortisol in both sexes of wild brown mouse lemurs (Microcebus rufus). 2011. Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. American Association of Physical Anthropologists. American Journal of Physical Anthropology Suppl. 144:S52.
Zohdy S, Tecot S, Wright PC, Jernvall J. Testing the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis (ICHH) in both sexes of the wild brown mouse lemur (Microcebus rufus). 2011. Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology. Integr. Comp. Biol. Suppl. 51:E156.
Bunn J, Zohdy S, King S, Wright PC, Jernvall J. Testing for tooth wear resistant measures of diet in primates. 2011. Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology.
Zohdy S, Kemp AD, Durden LA, Wright PC, Jernvall J. Mapping the Social Network: Tracking lice in a wild primate population to infer social contacts and vector potential. 2012. Charleston, SC, USA. Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology.
Zohdy S, Tecot S, Wright PC, Jernvall J. Testing the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis (ICHH) in both sexes of the wild brown mouse lemur (Microcebus rufus). 2012. American Association of Physical Anthropologists. American Journal of Physical Anthropology Suppl. 147(S54):310-311.
Kemp AD, Zohdy S, Jernvall J. Low, sexually-monomorphic digit ratios in a wild strepsirrhine primate (Microcebus rufus). 2012. Portland, Oregon, USA. American Association of Physical Anthropologists. American Journal of Physical Anthropology Suppl.
Zohdy S, and Radespiel U. Lifespan and survival in eastern and western mouse lemurs. 2012. Cancun, Mexico. International Primatological Society XXII. (submitted)
Zohdy S, Kemp AD, Durden LA, Wright PC, Jernvall J. Tracking lice in a wild primate population reveals social contacts and vector potential. 2012. Cancun, Mexico. International Primatological Society XXII. (submitted)
