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Dana K. Vaughan, Ph.D.   
Updated 07/24/2009
 Professor
Department of Biology & Microbiology
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh

CONTACT ME                           CHECK MY SCHEDULE

MY TEACHING      MY RESEARCH       MY SERVICE       AWARDS

MY RECENT PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS

MY STUDENTS                    MY EDUCATION

Bad Science by Ben Goldacre MD

Vaughan 13-Lined Ground Squirrel Colony        We are AAALAC accredited       

 

HIGHLY recommended!

Healthcare Options Web Page     Advising for Bio Majors        Neuroscience Minor 

Advising for PreHealth Professions Students       PreHealth Professionals of Oshkosh   

UW Oshkosh's NSF-REU program in Proteomics & Functional Genomics
Teaching           My Teaching Syllabi on D2L            Selected Recent Student Eval Comments

Subject to change year-to-year, but here's the way it usually goes:
Fall: Human Physiology lecture, Human Physiology Lab, and/or Healthcare Orientation
Spring: Animal Physiology lecture, Animal Physiology discussion, Animal Physiology lab, Neurobiology (odd years only), Biology of Gender (new course in Sp 2010), and/or Healthcare Orientation
 
Research            Useful Research-Related Links   

     Light micrograph of 13-liner outer retina collected in summer     Immunoconfocal image of 13-liner outer retina collected during summer   Photo Kenneth Linberg, UCSB

My lab conducts studies of the ground squirrel retina, a rodent model of cone-dominant vision. To supply research projects (carried out in collaboration with investigators at Research I institutions), I have created a captive breeding colony of 13-lined ground squirrels, which was described in a publication in the April 2006 issue of Lab Animal.  UW System filed a patent application on this technology in September 2006.  Further development has been made possible by 2008 AAALAC accreditation and an award from the NIH-NCRR Animal Facility Improvement Program.
Recent Publications 
UW Oshkosh Student Authors

  • RE Marc, BW Jones, CB Watt, F Vazquez-Chona, DK Vaughan, DT Organisciak (2008).  Extreme retinal remodeling triggered by light damage: implications for AMD.  Molecular Vision 14:782-806.

  • SJ Fliesler, DK Vaughan, EC Jenewein, MJ Richards, BA Nagel, NS Peachey (2007). Partial rescue of retinal function and sterol steady-state in a rat model of Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome. Pediatric Research, 61(3):273-8.

  • DK Vaughan, AR Gruber, ML Michalski, J Seidling, S Schlink (2006). Capture, care, and captive breeding of 13-lined ground squirrels, Spermophilus tridecemlineatus. Lab Animal 35(4):33-40.

  • DK Vaughan, NS Peachey, MJ Richards, B Buchan, SJ Fliesler (2006). Light-induced exacerbation of retinal degeneration in a rat model of Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome. Experimental Eye Research 82(3):496-504.

  • BW Jones, R. Marc, CB Watt, DK Vaughan, DT Organisciak (2005). Neural plasticity revealed by light-induced photoreceptor lesions. Proceedings of the IXth International Symposium on Retinal Degeneration (RD2004).

Recent Presentations
UW Oshkosh Student Authors

  • DK Vaughan, KA Linberg, W Li, M Traub, GP Lewis, SK Fisher (2008). Seasonal dynamics of cone ribbon synapses in ground squirrel retina.  80th Annual ARVO meeting, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
  • JM Tonne, KA Linberg, D Eisenschink, M Traub, T Rytz, T Thomas, GP Lewis, DK Vaughan, SK Fisher (2008).  SUMOylation of retinal proteins in aroused vs. torpid ground squirrels. 80th Annual ARVO meeting, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
  • M-P Agbaga, RS Brsuh, DK Vaughan, KR Henry, SM Conley, MI Naash, A Swaroop, RE Anderson (2007). Fatty acid composition of photoreceptor membranes of Nrl-/- mice and 13-lined ground squirrel retinas. 79th Annual ARVO meeting, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
  • AR Gruber, KE Betts, GP Lewis, SK Fisher, DK Vaughan (2006). Photoreceptor antigens are altered during seasonal hibernation of a cone-dominant rodent. 78th Annual ARVO meeting, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
  • AM Rodriguez, JT Eells, and DK Vaughan (2005). Methanol retinotoxicity in the cone-dominant ground squirrel retina.  77th Annual ARVO meeting, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
  • EC Jenewein,  SJ Fliesler, MJ Richards, and DK Vaughan (2005). Effect of AY9944 on the cone-dominant ground squirrel retina. 77th Annual ARVO meeting, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
  • BS Winkler, CA Barnes, RG Pourcho, DK Vaughan (2005). Vulnerability of rods and cones to oxidant stress may be linked to low levels of glutathione.  77th Annual ARVO meeting, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Current Grad Students
  • Tristan Thomas, UW Oshkosh BS 2008.

Current Undergraduate Students

  • Vanessa Ante (2008 McNair fellow from UWO)
  • Michelle Jooss
  • Minhoon Kim
  • Jose Orona (2009 McNair fellow from UWO)
  • Brian Schultz
  • Steve Tsotras (REU scholar from Cornell University)
  • Marvi Verma

Past Graduate Students

  • Jason Tonne.  ATTENDED ARVO.  Manages a research lab at the Mayo Clinic.
  • Erin Jenewein, MS June 2005. Sigma Xi grant awardee 2004, 2005 UW Oshkosh Distinguished Thesis Award. ATTENDED ARVO. Nova Southeastern School of Optometry class of 2009.
  • Jenny Nemke, MS 2001. ATTENDED ARVO. UW Milwaukee Staff member.

Squirrel Lab 2007: Jason Tonne, Megan Jourdan, Dana Vaughan, Danielle Eisenschink, Melissa Broger, Theresa Rytz.
Not pictured: Amanda Smith.

Past Undergraduate Students

  • Jon Gesicki (starts dental school at Detroit Mercy in August 2009)
  • Megan Jourdan (now in med school)
  • Dembi Huya-Kouadio (2008 NSF fellow from University of Maryland)
  • Danielle Eisenschink (2007 NSF fellow from Carroll College, graduated May 2008).
  • Theresa Rytz (2007 NSF fellow from Florida Atlantic University)
  • Melissa Broger
  • Amanda Smith, BS May 2008.  Research Assistant, Yale University.
  • Angela Rodriguez, BS May 2007. (2006 NSF fellow.) UW Academic Excellence Scholar, Chancellor's Award of Excellence. ATTENDED ARVO 05/06, ARVO travel grant '05. Illinois College of Optometry class of 2011. 
  • JJ Sager, BS May 2006. U of Pitt Neuroscience PhD program.  JJ did the lab's very first molecular biology!
  • Aaron Gruber, BS May 2006. ATTENDED ARVO 05/06. Sigma Xi grant awardee 2005!  Nova Southeastern School of Optometry class of 2010.
  • Eric Zuniga (2005 NSF fellow from College of Lake County and UW Parkside). Starts vet school at Colorado State in Fall 2008.
  • Julie Mullen, BS 2005 U Minn; Howard Hughes Medical Institute research intern Summer 2005. UW Oshkosh Accelerated Nursing program.
  • Amy Paulik, Northwestern University. Pre-medicine. Volunteer.
  • Amy Maltry, Iowa State University BS May 2005; summer volunteer for 2 years; attends UW Madison med school.
  • Lisa Burian, BS Dec 2003, Fotodyne Life Sciences.
  • N'gassa M'ssika, BS May 2004 (Med Tech). Med Tech.
  • Don Ruwan Ranatunga, BS Dec 2004 (Bio). UWO Master's degree program.
  • David Slotten, BS May 2003 (Bio), AppTec. ATTENDED ARVO.
  • Nathan Duncan, BS May 2003 (Bio). Teacher.
  • Amy Rider, BS May 2003 (Bio), attends MCOW med school.
  • Josh Koscher, BS '02 (Bio), MBA '07 UW Milwaukee, Division Administrator at UW Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. 
  • Blake Buchan, BS '01 (Microbio), Univ. of Iowa PhD program in Microbiology, class of 2008. ATTENDED ARVO.

Current Service Highlights
Awards

2003 Advising Excellence Award, Wisconsin Academic Advising Association

2004 Outstanding Faculty Advisor, National Academic Advising Association

2008 College of Letters & Science Service Award, UW Oshkosh

2008 Edward M. Penson Professor Award, UW Oshkosh

2008 University Research Professor Award, UW Oshkosh

Education      

B.S. in Biological Sciences with Honors - University of California, Santa Barbara, 1981.  Advisor: Demorest Davenport. 

Ph.D. in Physiology & Cell Biology - University of California, Santa Barbara, 1988. Retinal Cell Biology, Advisor: Steven K. Fisher

NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow - University of Utah Health Sciences Center, 1988-1991.  Advisor: Eric M. Lasater.
Contact Me

Email: vaughan (at) uwosh (dot) edu

Postal mail: Department of Biology & Microbiology, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI  54901

Office Phone: (920) 424-3076

FAX: (920) 424-1101