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Eleanor Bors (Ellie)

Education

Ph.D. Biological Oceanography, Massachusetts Institute of Technology & Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program, 2016 (expected)

B.A. Biology, Oberlin College, 2009

B.M. Cello Performance, Oberlin Conservatory of Music, 2009

Research interests

My research interests include population genetics, genomics of non-model species, deep-sea ecology, signatures of natural selection in wild populations, genetic connectivity, ecosystem resilience, and conservation.

I am interested in the shaping and persistence of genetic diversity in populations, specifically with regards to non-equilibrium population dynamics. I’ve recently started a project focusing on the population genomic impact of range expansions in invasive marine species. Additionally, while working in the Shank Lab, I hope to better understand the dynamic relationships between discrete benthic populations and gain insight into the impact of human activities (e.g., bottom trawling and mineral exploitation) on those populations.

I am driven by the desire to better understand the interplay of science and policy in today’s society and plan to build a career at the interface of the two.

Publications

  • Bors E.K. & S. Solomon (2013) How a nested framework illuminates the challenges of comparative environmental analysis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 110 (19): 7531-7532
  • Raineault N.A., P.A. Ramey-Balci, T.M. Shank, E.K. Bors, Duman M., Ürkmez D., & S. Tüzün (2013) Exploration of the Anaximander Mountains: Mud Volcanoes, Cold-Seep Communities, and Cold water Corals. Oceanography 26(1) supplement: 30-35
  • Bors E.K., A.A Rowden, E.W. Maas, M.R. Clark & T.M. Shank (2012) Patterns of Deep-Sea Genetic Connectivity in the New Zealand Region: Implications for Management of Benthic Ecosystems. PLoS ONE 7(11): e49474. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049474
  • Ma M., E.K. Bors, E.S. Dickinson, M.A. Kwiatkowski, G.L. Sousa, R.P. Henry, C.M. Smith, D.W. Towle, A.E. Christie & L.J. Li (2009) Characterization of the Carcinus maenas neuropeptidome by mass spectrometry and functional genomics. General and Comparative Endocrinology, 161 (3): 320-334
  • Ma M., R.B. Chen , G.L. Sousa, E.K. Bors, M.A. Kwiatkowski, C.C Goiney, M.F. Goy, A.E. Christie & L.J. Li (2008) Mass spectral characterization of peptide transmitters/hormones in the nervous system and neuroendocrine organs of the American lobster Homarus americanus. General and Comparative Endocrinology, 156 (2): 395-409