Anna Sjodin
Anna Sjodin

Doctoral Student

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Office: Bldg 4 Annex Rm. 187

Voice: (860) 486-1772

Fax: (860) 486-6364

E-mail: anna.sjodin@uconn.edu

Mailing address:

Anna Sjodin
University of Connecticut
75 North Eagleville Road, Unit 3043
Storrs, CT 06269-3043, U.S.A.

Research Interests

Anthropogenic Disturbance, Neotropical Mammals, Host-Parasite Ecology and Evolution, Wildlife Disease, Landscape Ecology, Behavioral Ecology, Conservation Biology

Education

University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
Ph.D. Student, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (Advisor: Dr. Michael Willig)
In Progress

Columbia University and EcoHealth Alliance, New York, NY
EcoHealth Alliance EcoHealthNet Research Exchange Program
Viral Diversity in Wildlife (Advisor: Dr. Simon Anthony)
2015

Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL
B.S., Biology with Ecology emphasis
Minors in Spanish Language and Literature and Psychology
2011

Past Research

Minnesota Moose
Mentor: Dr. Ron Moen
At the University of Minnesota-Duluth's Natural Resources Research Institute, I worked on a range of projects, most prominently an ongoing study of Minnesota Moose (Alces alces) and their recent population decline. I analyzed the movement of collared moose who died earlier than would be expected due to natural causes. My work included participation in moose necropsies and comparisons of pre-death movements and cause of death.
More Information:
Minnesota Moose
Moose Research at UMD-NRRI
Collecting samples for a necropsy at a field site in northern Minnesota
Photo Courtesy of Dr. Ron Moen

 

Chimpanzee Health
Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth Lonsdorf
Working at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Illinois, my main focus was a series of outbreak investigations of illnesses that have affected chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in the Kasekela community of Gombe National Park, Tanzania. I then compared the results to Simmian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) status of individual chimps in order to understand the relationship between length and severity of illness and SIV status. I also worked on the Ethosearch website, finding published ethograms and entering them into the database.
More Information:
Ethosearch Ethogram Database
SIV in Gombe Chimpanzees
Map of Tanzania with Gombe National Park shown as a red dot
Photo courtesy of www.janegoodall.org

 

Coevolution of Bats and Bat Ectoparasites and Bat Skull Morphometrics
Mentors: Dr. Bruce Patterson and Dr. Carl Dick
I participated in two complimentary projects involving bat evolution at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois. My first project examined the coevolution of bats and their species-specific bat fly ectoparasites. I compared bat fly eye complexity to the roosting habitats of their host species to see if those bats that roost in darker, more permanent structures house bat flies with the common troglodytic feature of reduced eye complexity. Here I also used both traditional and geometric morphometrics to examine the skull size and shape of bats within the genus Sturnira. This project worked towards clarification of speciation characteristics within this genus.
More Information:
Vampires on Vampires
REU Symposium 2009
Artibeus jamaicensis and bat flies on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico
Photo courtesy of Drs. Bruce Patterson and Carl Dick
A depiction of the landmarks used to analyze the geometric morphometrics of the bat skulls

Presentations

Sjodin, Anna. 2011. “The effects of emerging contaminants on stream ecosystems” Loyola University Chicago Undergraduate Research Symposium. Loyola University Chicago. Chicago, IL.

Sjodin, Anna. 2011. “The effects of hybrid cattails on methane emissions in wetlands and implications for restoration” Loyola University Chicago Undergraduate Research Symposium. Loyola University Chicago. Chicago, IL.

Sjodin, Anna. 2011. “The effects of emerging contaminants on stream ecosystems” Loyola University Chicago Biology Research Symposium. Loyola University Chicago. Chicago, IL.

Sjodin, Anna, Shane Lishawa, and Nancy C. Tuchman. 2010. “The effects of a hybrid cattail on methane emissions in wetlands” St. Albert’s Day Research Symposium. Loyola University Chicago Medical Center. Maywood, IL.

Sjodin, Anna. 2010. “The effects of a hybrid cattail on global climate change and implications for restoration” University of Michigan Biological Station Undergraduate Research Symposium, Pellston, MI.

Dick, Carl W., Anna Sjodin, Katharina Dittmar, and Bruce Patterson. 2010. “The influence of bat roosts on visual reductions in bat fly ectoparasites” American Society of Mammologists.

Sjodin, Anna. 2009. “A morphometric analysis of Sturnira speciation techniques and the influence of bat roosts on visual reductions in bat fly ectoparasites” Field Museum of Natural History Undergraduate Research Symposium. Chicago, IL.

Fellowships and Grants

Exploration Fund Grant , 2015
-Explorers Club, $2,500

Grants-in-Aid of Research, 2015
-American Society of Mammalogists, $1,500

Grants-in-Aid of Research, 2015
-Sigma Xi, $400

Department of Ecology and Evolutoinary Biology Zoology Award, 2015
-University of Connecticut, $1,000

Graduate Research Fellowship Program Award, 2013
-National Science Foundation, $32,000/year

Mulcahy Fellowship, 2010
-Loyola University Chicago, $2,000

Fellowship Incentive Grant, 2010
-Loyola University Chicago, $1,000

Center for Urban and Environmental Policy Research Fellowship, 2010
-Loyola University Chicago, $2,000

Awards

Outstanding Scholar Award, 2013
-University of Connecticut

Teaching

Graduate Teaching Assistant, 2013
-Introductory Biology for non-majors, University of Connecticut, Storrs CT

Curriculum Vitae

You can view my CV here: SjodinCV

Unless otherwise indicated, figures, tables, and images that appear on this page may not be used, reproduced, copied, or posted elsewhere, for any reasons, without permission.