Biology Faculty and Staff

Bio

Dr. Barlow is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology. He is an integrative physiologist in the Department of Biology, and teaches the following courses: Human Anatomy and Physiology (BIOL 2110 and 2225), Endocrinology (BIOL 380), Neurobiology (BIOL 433), Advanced Human Physiology (BIOL 424), and special topic courses in Advanced Cardiovascular Exercise Physiology and Molecular and Cellular Exercise Physiology. Dr. Barlow is also the Department of Biology Graduate Coordinator and director of the Human Anatomy Cadaver lab.

Research Interests

Dr. Barlow?s laboratory research deals with the cardiovascular health disparities in diabetes and metabolic syndrome in the regional Native American and Hispanic populations. His lab studies the control of heart and skeletal muscle blood flow associated with changes in aging, metabolism and exercise training. He also has studies in nutritional supplementation with exercise performance. Prior studies in the laboratory have included dual task post-concussion neurocognitive and physiological evaluation of young athletes as well as opioid regulation of the autonomic nervous system in pre-and post-conditioning of the heart.

Bio

My role in the Department of Biology serves as the vertebrate zoologist and ecologist. I teach courses including Principles of Biology (BIOL 2610), Wildlife Management and Conservation (BIOL 405/505), as well as various graduate seminars (e.g., BIOL 592). I also hold the title of Curator or Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals as part of the ENMU Genaro Natural History Museum.

Research Interests

My research focuses on the ecology and conservation of amphibians and reptiles across North America, particularly throughout the southwestern and midwestern United States. I have conducted studies involving emerging technologies (environmental DNA, drones), behavioral ecology, stress physiology, disease ecology, ecotoxicology, and natural history to gain a deeper insight into threats and challenges species and populations face, with the goal of conserving both species and critical habitat. In addition to field- and laboratory-based studies, I also utilize museum collections and specimen-based research to further our understanding of amphibian and reptile ecology and taxonomy. Recently funded projects include:

4. Increasing our understanding of the Rio Grande Cooter to inform future recovery options (2024-2027) (funded through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation)

3. Using environmental DNA (eDNA) to survey for imperiled reptiles in New Mexico (2024-2027) (funded through the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish)

2. Assessing the distribution and conservation status of imperiled aquatic turtles in southwestern Indiana (2023-2027) (funded through the Indiana Department of Natural Resources)

1. Validating a distribution model for the Western Ribbonsnake in New Mexico (2023-2026) (funded through the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish)

Bio

My research interests are multidisciplinary and synthesizes basic biology, behavior, ecology, and biochemistry to create an in-depth narrative on the negative effects of contaminants to both human and environmental health. Within the lab, I use animal models commonly utilized in the assessment of human disease to study mechanisms of toxicity and their impacts on physiology, abiotic stress response, and complex behaviors in an effort to answer questions on conservation and health. In the field, I study a variety of systems and organisms up to the community level to better understand the impacts of contaminants on ecosystem health, contaminant cycling, and remediation.

My current research projects vary from contaminant effects at the sub-cellular level to ecosystem and community structure. Currently funded projects include;

Mechanisms of neurotoxicity in zebrafish exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls, with specific interest in the role of intracellular calcium homeostasis.

Metals contamination in freshwater systems after wildfire and the role of beaver ponds in mitigating these effects at the community level, using macroinvertebrate community structure as an environmental health indicator.

How cover crops can be utilized for heavy metal remediation in severe wildfire affected regions, with interest in industrial hemp in addition to more traditional species.

The effects of PFAS exposure on the microbiome of Blue Gill fish and how these affect the gut-brain-axis, using microbiome, transcriptomic, and metabolomic techniques to characterize these effects.

Assessing the physiological consequences of zebrafish population level developed resistance to organic contaminants.

Current distribution of the Rio Grande Cooter within the lower Pecos River watershed, tolerance of abiotic stressors, environmental assessment of current range including contaminant loading, and modeling of favorable habitat for conservation.

Bio

I am the invertebrate zoologist in the Department of Biology, and I teach the following courses: General Biology I (BIOL 154), General Biology II (BIOL 155), Invertebrate Zoology (BIOL 300/L), General Entomology (BIOL 301/L), Parasitology (BIOL 341/L), Evolution and Systematics (BIOL 305), Biological Literature (BIOL 582), and Evolution (BIOL 562). I am also the head curator of collections, and curator of invertebrates, of the ENMU "Dr. Antonio 'Tony' Genaro Natural History Museum".

Research Interests

My research deals with the taxonomy, ecology, systematics, and biogeography of insects, specifically beetles of the large superfamily Tenebrionoidea and (recently begun) robber flies of the family Asilidae. My beetle work involves a combination of larval and adult morphological characters to elucidate phylogenies and classifications of taxa of interest. For the robber flies, I?m interested in prey selection, as well as basic, alpha-level taxonomy. I would not, however, restrict graduate students to work on these particular insects; students are encouraged to work on a taxon of their own interest.

At present, my research is collection-based, and involves use of external characters of larvae, pupae and adults. Because the beetle families on which I work are fairly small, I can work at the world level, and include all known taxa; this gives a very complete evolutionary picture of these beetle families. For robber flies, I?m most interested in fully documenting the local, i.e. eastern New Mexico, biodiversity. I am also interested in general biodiversity, specifically the role that systematists play in documenting the world's invertebrate fauna.

Bio

Varela has a Ph.D. with honors in biomedical sciences from UNM and was a postdoc under Tom Wilson at Harvard Medical School. Varela moved to ENMU and studied bacterial sugar transporters, drug resistance, and multidrug efflux pumps from MRSA and Vibrio cholerae. He used comparative genomics to identify novel antimicrobial targets in cholera-causing bacteria. The Varela laboratory has studied the modulation of antimicrobial efflux. Varela has published numerous primary papers, invited reviews, book chapters, and books, including "The Inventions and Discoveries of the World's Most Famous Scientists" in 2018, "Enter the World of Microbiology: Interviews about the World's Most Famous Microbiologists" (2019), "An Overview of Biomedical Scientists and Their Discoveries" (2020), "Biochemistry and Biochemists: Who Were They and What Did They Discover?" (2020), "The World of Molecular Biology" (2021), "The Life and Times of the World's Most Famous Female Scientists" (2022), and "The Most Influential Scientists Who Changed the World" (2024).

Research Interests

The Varela research laboratory is interested in molecular microbial physiology of bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents. We study bacterial multidrug efflux pumps from the major facilitator superfamily of solute transporters. Our laboratory discovered the multi-drug efflux pumps LmrS from Staphylococcus aureus and EmrD-3 from Vibrio cholerae. We also collaboratively determined the complete genome sequence of a non-O1 V. cholerae genome. We always want outstanding graduate students to work in our lab and complete their MS thesis.