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Department of Biology

Graduate Research in Biology

The Department of Biology provides expertise in many areas of the biological sciences ranging from the molecular to the ecosystem.  Although individual faculty members differ in their areas of interest, all recognize the constant changes occurring in the understanding of biological processes and the increasingly integrative nature of the sciences.  The Master's degree program at Fresno State seeks to capture the dynamic character of the biological sciences through a combination of courses and a research-based thesis.  Graduate students in the Master's program select a thesis adviser primarily based on common interests.  The thesis, however, represents the unique research interests of each student as guided by the research adviser and thesis committee.

Faculty within the Biology Department address a wide range of questions spanning from the cellular/molecular level to the organismal/ecosystem level. Please contact individual faculty members directly for more information about their research programs and lab availability.

Biology Faculty Research Projects and Lab Availability

 
Faculty Research Discipline Accepting MS Graduate Students  Possible Start Dates Number of Openings Project Descriptions
Dr. Francine Arroyo   TBD Spring 2027, Fall 2027 1 Examing evolutionary trade-ups and trade-offs against antimicrobial resistance. Projects include: 1.Characterizing novel phenotypes that impact biofilm, motility and efflux pumps, 2. Comparing antibiotic resistance evolution between non-pathogens and pathogens.
Dr. Alejandro Calderon-Urrea Molecular, Cellular and Genetic Systems; Physiological, Behavioral and Developmental Systems No N/A 0 Not accepting graduate students.
Dr. Karine Gousset Molecular, Cellular and Genetic Systems Yes Fall 2026 2 Host-pathogen interactions and viral pathogenesis from the perspective of a cell and molecular biologist. More specifically, the focus of my laboratory is on the role of tunneling nanotubes, a novel mechanism of functional connectivity between cells, in the spreading of viruses, misfolded protein aggregates (leading to neurodegenerative diseases), well as the role they may play in the proliferation and persistence of cancer. 
Dr. Alexandria Hansen Biology Education Yes Fall 2026, Spring 2027, Fall 2027 1-2

Projects include: 1. Mobile Making afterschool STEM project with Fresno Unified School District (FUSD): Dr. Hansen has created an afterschool STEM program for FUSD youth in grades 4-6. Fresno State students enrolled in Service-Learning classes visit school sites 5x each semester to facilitate a creative STEM activity that allows youth to make something (i.e., balloon race cars, light-up greeting cards, robots). Research investigates the impact of this experience on both the FUSD youth and Fresno State student facilitators through quantitative (surveys) and qualitative (e.g., observatons, student projects) data. Interested students can assist with the ongoing data collection/analysis and/or assist in developing creative STEM activities for youth. This project is funded by the National Science Foundation; some funding is available for student research assistants.

2. 3D-printing & Fabrication: This project seeks to explore ways that technology and fabrication equipment (i.e., 3D-printing) can be used to enhance life science education acros K-16+. For example, a student might prototype 3D-printing of differnet joints in the human body for use in educational spaces. While there is no funding available for this project, access to fabrication equipment will be provided. Previous experience working with fabrication equipment is preferred, but not required. 
Dr. Cynthia Hsu   Yes Fall 2026, Spring 2027, Fall 2027 1

Drosophila as a model for depression genetics and environmental influences on sleep drive.
Dr. David Lent Molecular, Cellular and Genetic Systems; Physiological, Behavioral and Developmental Systems No N/A 0

Not accepting graduate students.
Dr. Alija Mujic Environmental, Evolutionary and Ecological Systems; Molecular, Cellular and Genetics Systems Yes Spring 2027, Fall 2027 2

Projects include: 1. Fungal ecology of oaks ecosystems in the Sierra Nevada foothills and Mountain, 2. Secondary metabolism of antibiotic producing fungi, 3. Edible truffle cultivation in California pecan orchards (pilot studies), 4. Microbial ecology and functional genomics of wetland restoration. 

Mujic Lab Research Website
Dr. Ulrike Müller Physiological, Behavioral and Developmental Systems TBD Fall 2026, Spring 2027, Fall 2027 1

Predator-prey interactions in carnovorous plants (bladderworts), equity issues and science communication issues.
Dr. Larry Riley   No N/A 0

Not accepting graduate students.
Dr. Joseph Ross Molecular, Cellular and Genetic Systems; Environmental, Evolutionary and Ecological Systems No N/A 0

Not accepting graduate students.
Dr. Justin Shaffer   Yes Fall 2026, Fall 2027 1

See research topics on Shafer Lab website. 
Dr. Hyunjin Shim   Yes Fall 2026 1

Process long-read sequencing datasets using bioinformatics tools. Experience in programming is required (Python or R) and experience in sequencing data is preferred. 

Shim Lab Research Website
Dr. Joel Slade Environmental, Evolutionary and Ecological Systems; Physiological, Behavioral and Developmental Systems; Molecular, Cellular and Genetic Systems Yes Spring 2027 2

Ecoimmunology is an emerging interdisciplinary field of biology that integrates the study of evolutionary ecology and immunology. The field focuses on animals and how they interact with their environment and how these interactions influence their immune system. The discipline also explores how pathogens and parasites shape the evolutionary trajectories of an animal’s immune system. We look at factors such as habitat quality, resource availability, temperature, social interactions, and exposure to pollutants can influence an organism's immune function and its ability to combat diseases. 

Slade Lab Research Website
Dr. Brian Tsukimura Environmental, Evolutionary and Ecological Systems; Physiological, Behavioral and Developmental Systems Yes Fall 2026, Spring 2027 1-2

1. Thermal stress effects on reproduction using intertidal organisms, through snRNA-seq, 2. Mosquito resistance to pesticides, potentially on larval stages
Dr. Emily Walter Biology Education Yes Fall 2027 1

Improve college student success in science through active, student-centered, and creative teaching and learning practices. Methods to dismantle mis- and dis-information in biology, ways to improve student understanding, and ways to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in biology. Most thesis research studies in the lab explore features and impacts of interventions in postsecondary classrooms (colleges and universities). Students in our lab have gone on to PhD programs, tenure-track teaching positions at community colleges, middle and high school science teaching, industry, and PA/MD professional programs.

Walter Lab Research Website. 
Dr. Katherine Waselkov Environmental, Evolutionary and Ecological Systems; Molecular, Cellular and Genetic Systems No N/A 0

Not accepting graduate students.
Dr. Hwan Youn Molecular, Cellular and Genetic Systems Yes Fall 2026, Spring 2027, Fall 2027 1-2 1. Engineering CRP to bind to the DNA target of CooA. 2. Creation of constitutively active CRP mutants (CRP*).

Other Faculty Research Projects and Lab Availability

 
 
Faculty		 Department Accepting MS Biology Graduate Students Possible Start Dates Number of Openings Project Descriptions
Dr. Cory Brooks Chemistry & Biochemistry No N/A 0 Not accepting graduate students.
Dr. Laurent Dejean Chemistry & Biochemistry TBD      
           

Our faculty have collaborated with researchers at a broad array of national and international universities and receive funding a range of federal (e.g., National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Defense, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency) and state agencies (e.g., California Fish and Game Department, California Agriculture and Technology Institute, California Department of Water Resources ) along with a range of industry groups.

Student completing the M.S. degree are prepared to a diverse array of career opportunities in the biological sciences including continuation to a Ph.D. degree.  Training in the biological sciences provides opportunities in a range of employment sectors including government, industry, and education. Specific employment areas may include laboratory management, quality control, environmental management and conservation, the biotechnology industry, health care research, ecology, agricultural production and inspection, pest control, and marine sciences among others.