Escorcia Lab Members
Namibian road afternoon during a bush drive.
The Journey
Students who are interested in conducting research at the Escorcia Lab must possess curiosity, determination, and perseverance. Science is a difficult but highly rewarding endeavor. To engage in research is to commit to a life-long process of discovery and learning.
As Richard Feynman points out in The Pleasure of Finding Things Out, scientific research begins with observation and genuine interest. We all carry a scientist within us. From the moment our senses interact with the physical world, our brain seeks out patterns and explanations to natural phenomena.
In the Escorcia Lab, we recognize that while students may not know which scientific project to pursue from the start, they will eventually get there by asking the right questions and making the right observations. Lab members are surrounded by peers at different levels of research experience who act as a community with common goals and expectations.
Wilber and Kennedy posing for a picture at the Biology Department reception following Xavier's 2023 commencement ceremony.
Becoming A Member
Students who show interest in our research typically review our publications to determine whether the science is a fit for them. If the work is appealing, they make an informal interview with Dr. Escorcia where they discuss how they might contribute to research work in the future. If their vision aligns with the lab's goals, potential members then meet with current or past lab members. This converstation ensures that potential members understand well the full gamut of responsibilites and expectations they will embrace as a member of our group.
There are two pathways to the Escorcia Lab at present. The first is for students at all class levels who wish to pursue extracurricular research, while the second is for seniors looking to complete capstone projects. Regardless of which path potential members take, they are expected to dedicate a portion of their weekly time outside the classroom carrying out either in silico or bench research.
The devil is in the details. Highlights of figures associated with Escorcia Lab publications.
Research Paths
In the Escorcia Lab we study aging. This takes different forms and approaches, but the ultimate goal remains the same: to explain how and why homeostatic deregulation accelerates cellular and organismal senescence. We employ two model organisms to address aging questions.
Schizosaccharomyces pombe is a yeast that divides by medial fission with rapid doubling times, malleable genetics, and accessible maintenance and culturing. We use this yeast species to interrogate questions regarding nuclear and intracellular dynamics that are connected to cell cycle processes. In our lab, we are interested in exploring the mechanisms by which aging disrupts genomic stability. Fission yeast is a terrific model organism for molecular biology, genetics, and microscopy work.
Caenorhabditis elegans is a round nematode worm with invariant cell lineage, tissue organization, predictable life cycle, and transparent body design. This small animal allows researchers to address questions that are medically-relevant to humans. C. elegans is a great model organism for physiology, genetics, and microscopy work.
In addition to the two model organisms we work with, we employ bioinformatics, physiology, genetics, molecular biology, and microscopy tools in our research. The nature of scientific questions require multiple angles of questioning to generate descriptive and prescriptive answers to natural phenomena. Thus, potential members of our lab should expect to develop basic competencies in at least one model organism and a few research approaches.
Spring time for Musketeers soccer!
Interested In Our Research?
Contact Dr. Escorcia either by email (escorciaw@xavier.edu) or by phone (513-745-2057) to request an informal interview.
Otherwise, contact one of our current members and discuss your research interests with them.
PAGE LAST UPDATED:
2023-11-12