Ben B. Parrott, Ph.D.

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Marine Biomedicine and Environmental Sciences | Post Doctoral Fellows | Ben B. Parrott, Ph.D.

Ben B. Parrott, Ph.D.

Research Interest:

Dissertation Research

My dissertation work utilized the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, to investigate the environmental and genetic components that regulate stem cell behavior.

Current Research
I am interested in understanding how contaminants in our environment affect humans and wildlife on a cellular and genetic level. Previous work in our lab has focused on the effects of contaminants that affect reproduction by disrupting the endocrine system in the American alligator. The levels of sex steroid hormones in alligators residing in contaminated habitats are dramatically altered when compared to the levels measured in alligators living in relatively pristine environments. These alterations of the endocrine system have been associated with an overall decrease in reproductive health. In addition to the implications these findings have on the conservation of wildlife populations, they also signal a warning for human health. Similar to humans, alligators are top predators and have a long lifespan. Thus, what we learn from these animals may be applicable to our own health. My aim is to use my training in cellular biology and genetics to understand the fundamental mechanisms by which endocrine disrupting contaminants exert their effects on sentinel species, like the alligator, and to relate those findings towards improving human health.

Selected Publications:

Parrott, B.B., Chiang, Y., Hudson, A., Sarkar, A., Guichet, A., Schulz, C. 2011. Nucleoporin98-96 Function is Required for Transit Amplification Divisions in the Germline of Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS One, In Press.

Parrott, B.B., Hudson, A., Brady, R., Schulz, C. EGF Signaling in the Stem Cell Microenvironment Represses the Frequency of Germline Stem Cell Divisions Independently of Promoting Germ Cell Differentiation. Submitted.

Hudson A, BB Parrott, Qian Y, Schulz C. Dose Dependent Effects of EGFR signaling in Drosophila Testes. 2011. Submitted.

Gubbels MJ, Lehman M, Muthalagi M, Jerome ME, Brooks CF, Szatanek T, Flynn J, Parrott BB, Radke J, Striepen B, White MW. 2008. Forward Genetic Analysis of the Apicomplexan Cell Division Cycle in Toxoplasma gondii. PLoS Pathogens 4(2): e36

Selected Scientific Presentations:

Drosophila Research Conference (March 30, 2011)
San Diego, CA
Poster Presentation: Environmental and Genetic Regulation of Stem Cell Dynamics in Drosophila

American Foundation for Aging Research and GlaxoSmithKline, Bicentennial Symposium on the Biology of Aging (October 8, 2010)
North Carolina Biotechnology Center
Poster Presentation: Attenuation of EGF Signaling Leads to the Hyper-proliferation of Adult Germline Stem Cells in a Drosophila Tumor Model.

Southeastern Regional Society for Developmental Biology Annual Meeting (May 22, 2010)
University of Georgia
Poster Presentation: Attenuation of EGF Signaling Leads to the Hyper-proliferation of Adult Germline Stem Cells in a Drosophila Tumor Model.

Department of Cellular Biology Annual Retreat (August 21, 2010)
University of Georgia
Oral Presentation: Attenuation of EGF Signaling Leads to the Hyper-proliferation of Adult Germline Stem Cells in a Drosophila Tumor Model.

Southeastern Regional Society for Developmental Biology Annual Meeting (March 28, 2009)
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Platform Presentation: The nup98-96 locus Genetically Interacts with the TGF-β Ligand, dpp, to Maintain Germ Line Stem Cells in Drosophila.

Drosophila Research Conference (March 8, 2007)
Philadelphia Marriot, Philadelphia, PA
Platform Presentation: Identification and Characterization of Novel Genetic Pathways Underlying Feeding Motivation in Drosophila.

Southeastern Ecology and Evolution Conference (March 12, 2005)
University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Platform Presentation: A Phylogenetic Study of Epizootic Saprolegnialean Watermolds

Northeast Algal Symposium (April 16, 2005)
Samoset Resort, Rockport, ME
Platform Presentation: A Phylogenetic Study of Epizootic Saprolegnialean Watermolds

Ben B. Parrott, Ph.D.