معرفی
Dr. M. Denise Dearing is a Distinguished Professor of Biology at the University of Utah, where she holds appointments in the College of Science and is an active member of both the Ecology, Evolution & Organismal Biology (EEOB) and Molecular, Cellular & Evolutionary Biology (MCEB) graduate programs. She directs the Dearing Lab, an integrative research group that investigates how small mammals contend with toxic diets and infectious diseases.
Research Interests: Professor Dearing’s work sits at the intersection of physiological ecology, microbiome science, and evolutionary genomics. In particular, she examines:
- Plant-herbivore interactions and the detoxification mechanisms that allow herbivores to consume chemically defended plants;
- The role of host-associated microbial communities in mediating toxin tolerance and pathogen resistance;
- Ecological and evolutionary dynamics of hantavirus reservoirs, especially deer mice and Sin Nombre virus.
Her research combines fieldwork in deserts of the western United States with cutting-edge genomics, metabolomics, and microbiome analyses to uncover co-evolutionary processes shaping diet breadth, microbial symbioses, and disease ecology.
Recent Publication Trends: Over 2023–2025, Professor Dearing and her team have produced a prolific suite of papers focusing on (1) microbiome stability and functional resilience in wild herbivorous rodents, (2) rapid genomic adaptation to toxic diets via gene family expansions in woodrats, and (3) metabolomic dissection of independent detoxification pathways. Collectively, these studies highlight how host phylogeny, environmental temperature, and dietary chemistry interact to sculpt both microbial and host gene expression landscapes.
Scientific Awards & Recognition:
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (awarded to advisee Noah, 2024)
- NSF Fellowship (awarded to advisee Maggie, 2024)
Advising & Grants: Professor Dearing mentors a vibrant cohort of graduate and undergraduate researchers. Recent trainees who completed or advanced their degrees include:
- Maggie – defended PhD, accepted postdoctoral position at UMass Boston;
- Dylan – defended PhD;
- Noah – awarded NSF GRFP and continues PhD research;
- Anastasia – undergraduate researcher presenting at ACCESS Symposium.
The lab’s work is supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and other agencies, funding field collections, genomic sequencing, and experimental manipulations.
Laboratory & Field Resources: The Dearing Lab maintains active field sites in Utah and California for long-term monitoring of woodrat populations. Lab facilities include controlled-environment chambers, a dedicated microbiome suite, and access to the University of Utah’s Genomics Core for high-throughput sequencing.
