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Leslee Parr, Ph.D.
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Assistant Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
San José State University
Department of Biological Sciences
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0100
Duncan Hall, Room 555
Telephone:
(408) 924-4897
FAX: (408) 924-4840
E-mail: lparr@email.sjsu.edu
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Courses Taught
Education
University of Washington, Seattle, WA, B.A., Zoology with Honors, Minor, Earth Science,
1979.
Southern Oregon University, Ashland, OR, M.S., Secondary Education: Science, 1986.
University of Guanajuato Outstanding Graduate Student Award.
Portland State University, Portland, OR, Ph.D., Environmental Sciences and Resources,
2000.
Professional Experience
Assistant Professor, San José State University, San José, CA.
Assistant Professor, Southern Oregon University, Ashland, OR.
Graduate Teaching Fellow, Portland State University, Portland, OR
Adjunct Instructor, Clark Community College, Vancouver, WA
Instructor, Southern Oregon University, Ashland, OR
Teaching Fellow, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
Instructor, Southern Oregon State College, Ashland, OR
Biology Teacher, North Medford High School, Medford, OR
Science Teacher, Scenic Junior Middle School, Central Point, OR
K-12 Educator, University of Hawaii, Waikiki Aquarium, Honolulu, HI
Science Teacher, Lincoln Middle School, Clarkston, WA
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2001-present
1997-2001
1993-1997
1993-1997
1991-1992
1990
1988-1990
1988-1990
1981-1988
1980-1981
1979-1980 |
Research
Phylogenetics:
My past research examined the DNA sequences of four mitochondrial
genes (cytochrome b, the tRNAs threonine and proline, and the control region or
D-loop) of the subungulates (aardvarks, hyraxes, elephants, manatees and dugongs).
I have used my analyses of these sequences in three ways:
- to elucidate the
phylogenetic (evolutionary) relationships of the subungulates,
- to test the morphologically based taxonomy of the three extant species of manatees,
- to provide a database of genetic variation within and between manatee populations
of all three species of manatees, this data is currently being used to,
- monitor and implement manatee recovery plans for both the West Indian and West African
manatee species (no recovery plan has yet been devised for the Amazonian manatee),
- identify locations of origin of stranded West Indian manatees, so that these individuals
can be rehabilitated and returned to their native habitat,
- identify, to species and regions of origin, suspected manatee products confiscated
by customs and wildlife forensic agents, enabling enforcement of wildlife protection
regulations.
This research was completed at the U. S. Fish and Wildlife National
Forensic Laboratory in Ashland, Oregon, as my doctoral dissertation work. I continued
on at the National Laboratory for four years (until accepting my position at SJSU),
serving as a resident scientist and as the proficiency examiner for the serology
section of the laboratory.
Conservation Genetics:
My current area of research is conservation genetics. Conservation
genetics focuses on the problem of preserving genetic diversity in threatened or
endangered species through population and habitat management. Informed management
decisions require both estimates of genetic variation within the populations of
concern and ongoing, qualitative assessment of changes in population size, connectedness,
and genetic variability. My research is based on DNA sequencing, sequence analysis,
and most recently, microsatellite analysis.
West African manatees. I am actively involved
in the acquisition, sequencing and analysis of West African manatee samples. I serve
on the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources)
Sirenian (manatees and dugongs) Specialist Group and am one of the authors of the
International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)
West African Manatee Recovery Plan. I sequence and analyze West African manatee
tissues acquired by IUCN field researchers in order to monitor implementation of
the Recovery Plan.
Dungeness crabs. Over the last five years I have
also taken part in a second area of research which involves measuring the biogeography
and larval dispersal of Dungeness crabs using mitochondrial DNA sequencing (my graduate
students and I are now attempting to use microsatellite analysis in this research).
I am collaborating on this work with Curtis Roegner, National Oceanographic and
Atmospheric Administration and Alan Shanks, University of Oregon's Oregon Institute
of Marine Biology. We propose to use analyses of genetic variability to investigate
dispersal of the Dungeness crab, throughout its geographic range. Our investigations
of crab dispersal have revealed that larvae are aggregated into patches at sea and
recruit into estuarine systems in discreet pulses. We have developed a simple procedure
for acquiring time series of larvae, and have archived five years of returning final
stage larvae (megalopae). We have also successfully extracted, amplified, and sequenced
the COI gene of the crab mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). We now propose to develop and
use microsatellite markers for nuclear genome characterization. We will use microsatellite
analysis in combination with mtDNA sequence analysis as a of measure genetic variability
within and among populations of both adult and returning megalopae of C. magister.
With these data, we will determine the biogeography of adult crab populations and
elucidate the nature of larval dispersal of Dungeness crab throughout its range.
The results of this study compiled with the available information
on the dispersal distance of the propagules of other Pacific coast benthic marine
organisms will be used for the development of criteria for the design, size, and
spacing of proposed Pacific coast marine reserves.
Two of my graduate students are working on this project for
their M.S. thesis research.
Thailand Dugongs: Recently I was invited to participate
in a dugong conservation management program along the Andaman coast of Thailand
in cooperation with Ellen Hines, Department of Environmental Geography, San Francisco
State University and Kanjana Adulyanukosol, Marine Endangered Species Unit (MESU),
Phuket Marine Biological Center, Phuket, Thailand.
The dugong is a marine mammal found in coastal waters from
east Africa to Australia. Once commonly seen, dugongs are now considered endangered.
In 2001, Hines completed aerial surveys along the Andaman Sea of Thailand; her results
indicate that only about 100 dugongs remain. Since 1996, Kanjana Adulyanukosol has
performed necropsies on fatally stranded dugongs along the Andaman coast. In March
2002, Adulyanukosol visited SJSU and delivered these tissues to my lab for analysis.
My graduate student, Danielle Palmer, is performing microsatellite and DNA sequencing
analysis on these tissues for her M.S. thesis.
Recent Abstracts and Papers
Parr, L.A. and D.A. Duffield. 2002. Interspecific comparison of mitochondrial DNA
variation between extant species of manatee. In: Molecular
and
Cell Biology of Marine
Mammals. Krieger Pulishing Co., Ed. Carl J. Pfeiffer.
Silva, M.A., A. Araujo, F. Djedjo, L. Gomes, H. Monteiro, L. Parr. 1999. Plano nacional
de conservacao do manatim Africo (Trichechus senegalensis)
na Guine-Bissau. ICUN
(Instituto da Conservacao da Natureza).
Professional Activities
Society for Marine Mammalogy
Estuarine Research Federation
Bay Area Biosystemists
Sigma Xi, Scientific Research Society
International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)
Sirenian
Specialist Group
Board of Directors, WIRES (Women in Religion, Ethics, and the Sciences)
Graduate Students:
Major Advisor:
- Valliammal Chockalingam, M.S. Molecular Biology, 2001 - present. Genetic analysis
of Dungeness crab larval dispersal and the effective size and spacing of marine
reserves.
- Danielle Palmer, M.S. Organismal Biology, 2001-present. Genetic characterization
of Thailand Dugongs, implications for conservation.
- Amy Fontarensky, M.S. Organismal Biology, 2001-present. Genetic characterization
of Congolese bonobo orphans, implications for re-introduction.
- Jimmy Yu, M.S. Molecular Biology, 2002-present. The design of gene prediction algorithms.
- Sonali Upadhye, M.S. Molecular Biology, 2002. Genetic analysis of Dungeness crab
larval dispersal and the effective size and spacing of marine reserves.
- Corrine Lardy, M.S. Organismal Biology, 2003-present. Genetic characterization of
Franciscana dolphins of Argentina, implications for conservation.
Committee:
- Eleanor Zhou, M.S. Computer Science, 2002-present. (Major Advisor, Sami Khuri),
Visualization package for the dynamic programming algorithm for pairwise alignment
in bioinformatics.
- Claudia Morales, M.A. Molecular Biology, 2001-present. (Major Advisor John Boothby).
Collaborators:
Curtis Roegner, National Marine Fisheries/ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Alan Shanks, University of Oregon Institute of Marine Biology
Ellen Hines, San Francisco State University
Kanjana Adulyanukosol, Phuket Marine Biological Center, Thailand
Sami Khuri, San José State University
Caryn Self Sullivan, Sirenian International
Juliana Vianna, Fabricio Rodrigues dos Satos, Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas,
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Monica A. e Silva, Instituto da Conservacao da Naturenza, Portugal
Deborah Duffield, Portland State University
Steven Fain, U.S. Fish & Wildlife National Forensic Laboratory
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