Carina Howell

Carina Howell is a Professor of Biology in the Department of Biological and Health Sciences at Lock Haven University. Her research bridges molecular genetics and evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo), with a focus on nervous system development across diverse organisms.

Her educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Biology, University of Pittsburgh (2000)
• B.S. in Biology, The Pennsylvania State University (1995)

Dr. Howell's work integrates cutting-edge laboratory techniques—from classical genetics to bioinformatics—with innovative pedagogy. She designs classroom and research experiences that mutually inform each other, particularly through course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) in genomics. Her expertise spans neurodevelopment, molecular evolution, and bioinformatics, with active laboratory investigations using model organisms like Caenorhabditis elegans.

Analysis of her publications reveals a strategic shift from molecular genetics (1995-2002) toward genomics education (2014-2020), prominently featuring the Genomics Education Partnership (GEP). This collaborative network enables transformative undergraduate research in bioinformatics, with applications in evo-devo and neurodevelopment using diverse model systems.

She actively mentors students through research-intensive courses like Bioinformatics and Genomics (BIOL323), resulting in student co-authorship on publications. Her presentations at national conferences emphasize scalable models for undergraduate research integration across biology curricula.

As a core member of the Genomics Education Partnership, Dr. Howell contributes to a nationwide collaborative infrastructure that develops open-source bioinformatics curricula and coordinates multi-institutional genome annotation projects, democratizing authentic research experiences for undergraduates.