Laura completed her B.S. degree in Animal Science from Virginia Tech Fall 1998, with a minor in Agricultural Economics. She was admitted into the Interdepartmental Genetics program in Fall 1999. To date, she has rotated through laboratories of Dr. R.L. Fernando and Dr. S.J. Lamont, and I am currently working with Dr. M.F. Rothschild. Work in Lamont's lab dealt with selective DNA pooling techniques for QTL mapping experiments. Ongoing research in Dr. Rothschild's lab has led to an original identification of monozygous twin pigs and an estimate of porcine microsatellite mutation rate. Publication of this work is pending. Future work in this lab will involve gap junction proteins and their role in oogenesis.

Upon completion of the final rotation, she will choose co-major professors, one from the quantitative field and one from the molecular field. Grapes' research area will be the interface of quantitative and molecular genetics.

Joseph P. McElroy
225 Kildee
Voice: (515) 294-2721
E-mail: jmclry@iastate.edu

Joe, from Pomeroy Ohio, received his B.S. degree from the University of Rio Grande in Ohio, where he majored in mathematics and biology, and minored in chemistry and physics. He has rotated through laboratories with Dr. J.C.M. Dekkers and Dr. R.L. Fernando, and then with Dr. M.F. Rothschild, and finally with Dr. S.J. Lamont. He is a Ph.D. candidate and is researching epistasis. His major professors are Dr. J.C.M. Dekkers and Dr. S. J. Lamont.