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Jennifer Forbey
Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences
Department: Biological Sciences
Year arrived at BSU:  
Mailing Address:

Department of Biological Sciences
Boise State University
Boise, ID 83725-1515
Office Location: Science/Nursing 105
Office Number: 208-426-4426
Office Fax: 208-426-1040
E-Mail Address: jenniferforbey@boisestate.edu
Academic Degrees | Teaching | Reseach Interests | Recent Publications | Conferences & Workshops | Graduate Students | Student Reasearch Opp.
   
ACADEMIC DEGREES
 
  • B.S., Mesa State College, 1997
  • Ph.D., University of Utah, Biology, 2003
  • National Science Foundation International Research Postdoctoral Fellow (Australia & New Zealand), 2003-2007
TEACHING
 

Boise State UniversityFeeding experiment with brushtail possums at Australia National University, Canberra, AUS
            Biology 192: General Biology II
            Biology 497 and 597: Special Topics in Plant-Animal Interactions

University of Utah
            Pharmaceutical Sciences: 5113 and 7113 Pharmacokinetics
            Biology 3460: Global Environmental Issues

Oregon State University
            Fish and Wildlife 317: Biology of Mammals

 

Teaching Philosophy
My goal as an educator and mentor is to provide the knowledge to transform students into independent and analytical thinkers and broadly prepare students for careers in science. I provide skills in analytical thinking by offering opportunities to write critically, communicate and debate scientific issues with their peers and design, conduct and analyze scientific research. Moreover, my experiences conducting research in academic, industrial and governmental settings will allow me to mentor students interested in careers in a variety of scientific disciplines. I believe that my teaching background, commitment to students and experience in diverse scientific career paths will contribute to the outstanding education, research opportunities and mentoring students expect from Boise State.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
 

Animals are faced with the daily challenge of processing large quantities of toxins present in their environment.  However, Small mammal trapping field trip for Mammalogy coursethe way animals respond and deal with these toxins is poorly understood. I am interested in understanding the behavioral and physiological consequences of exposure to plant secondary metabolites (i.e. toxins) and the mechanisms that herbivores employ to mitigate the negative effects of exposure to plant toxins. My research focuses on two general areas related to plant-herbivore interactions employing a combination of laboratory and field-based approaches:

1. Evolutionary diversity of plant-animal chemical interactions: The main aim of this research is to evaluate the evolutionary diversity of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) and the evolutionary diversity of receptor targets and mechanisms of absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADMET) of PSMs in animals.  Specific study systems include: sagebrush and sage grouse interactions in Idaho; marine algal-fish herbivore interactions in New Zealand; marine algal-invertebrate herbivore interactions in Australia; fruit-fish frugivore interactions in the tropics.  These projects may reveal the co-evolutionary interactions between plants and animals, but can also be applied to conservation efforts to preserve the species involved in these interactions.

2.  Pharm-Ecology: An ecological approach to natural product drug discovery: The main aim of this research is to utilize the technology and insight of two disparate, yet highly complementary fields: ecology (both physiological and chemical) and pharmacology (science of drugs, including their composition, uses, and effects) to discover the biological activity of natural products in the areas of infectious disease and cancer. Insight from the interactions between PSMs and the physiological and behavioral responses of herbivores to these compounds will expedite drug discovery and reveal the mechanisms by which bioactive molecules are therapeutic or toxic.


 

 
RECENT PUBLICATIONS [click to open]
  1. Dearing, M.D., J. S. Sorensen, J. D. McLister, L. Santos. (In Press Physiological Biochemical Zoology)  Ambient temperature influences diet selection and physiology of an herbivorous mammal, Neotoma albigula.
  2. McLean, S., R.R. Boyle, S. Brandon, N.W. Davies and J.S. Sorensen. 2007. Pharmacokinetics of 1,8-ciniole, a dietary toxin, in the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula): significance for feeding. Xenobiotica. 37(9):903-922.
  3. Sorensen, J.S., K.C. Forbey, R. Tanquay and B. McLeod. 2007. Tissue distribution of cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) in brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) exposed to Eucalyptus terpenes. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C. Toxicology and Pharmacology. 145(2):194-201.
  4. Sorensen, J.S. and M.D. Dearing. 2006.  Efflux transporters as a novel herbivore offense to plant chemical defenses. Journal of Chemical Ecology. 32(6):1181-96.
  5. Sorensen, J.S., M. Skopec and M.D. Dearing. 2006. Application of pharmacological approaches to plant-mammal interactions. Journal of Chemical Ecology. 32(6):1229-46.
  6. Marsh, K.J., I.R. Wallis, S. McLean, J.S. Sorensen and W.J. Foley. 2006. Conflicting demands on detoxification pathways influence how common brushtail possums choose their diets. Ecology. 87:2103-2112.
  7. Sorensen, J.S., J. D. McLister and M.D. Dearing. 2005a. Plant secondary metabolites compromise the energy budgets of specialist and generalist mammalian herbivores. Ecology. 86: 125-139.
  8. Sorensen, J.S., J.D. McLister and M.D. Dearing.  2005b.  Novel plant secondary metabolites impact the performance of a specialist more than a generalist (Neotoma spp.). Ecology. 86: 140-154.
  9. Dearing, M.D., J.D. McLister and J.S. Sorensen. 2005.  Woodrat (Neotoma) herbivores maintain nitrogen balance on a low nitrogen, high phenolic forage, Juniperus monosperma. Journal of Comparative Physiology B: Biochemical, Systematic, and Environmental Physiology. 175(5): 349-355.
  10. Sorensen, J.S., E. Heward, and M.D. Dearing. 2005c. Plant secondary metabolites alter the feeding patterns of a mammalian herbivore (Neotoma lepida).  Oecologia. 146:415-422.
  11. McLister, J.D., J.S. Sorensen and M.D. Dearing. 2004.  The effect of juniper (Juniperus monosperma) consumption on the cost of thermoregulation in the woodrats Neotoma albigula and Neotoma stephensi depends upon acclimation temperature.  Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. 77(2): 305-312.
  12. Sorensen, J.S., C.A. Turnbull and M.D. Dearing.  2004.  A specialist herbivore (Neotoma stephensi) absorbs fewer plant toxins than a generalist (Neotoma albigula).  Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. 77(1): 139-148.
  13. Lamb, J. G., P. Chaterjie, P. Marick, J. S. Sorensen, S. Haley, and M. Denise Dearing.  2004. Liver biotransforming enzymes in woodrats Neotoma stephensi (Muridae).  Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C. 138(2): 195-201.
  14. Sorensen, J.S. and M.D. Dearing. 2004.  Physiological limitations of dietary specialization in herbivorous woodrats (Neotoma spp.) in Animals and Environments: Proceedings of the Third International Congress of Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry ISC1275.  Ed. S. Morris and A. Vosloo. Elsevier.  Pp 313-320.
  15. Sorensen, J.S. and M.D. Dearing. 2003. Elimination of plant toxins: an explanation for dietary specialization in mammalian herbivores. Oecologia. 134: 88-94.
  16. Lamb, J.G., J.S. Sorensen, and M.D. Dearing. 2001. Comparison of detoxification enzyme mRNAs in woodrats (Neotoma lepida) and laboratory rats. Journal of Chemical Ecology. 27(4): 845-857.
CONFERENCES & WORKSHOPS  
2009 Conference Organizer: Society for Integrative and Comparative Physiology Symposium host: “PharmEcology: Integrating Ecological Systems and Pharmacology”, Jan 3-7, 2009; http://www.sicb.org/meetings/2009/symposia/pharmecol.php3.  Supported by: NSF0827239, JS Forbey, PI; College of Arts and Sciences, BSU, Agilent Technology
2008 Conference Poster: Pediatric Academic Societies’ Annual Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, May 3-6, Hawaii Convention Center and 5th Annual Pediatric Research Conference, University of Utah, “Morphine analgesiaand developmental kinetics in 3 to 18 year old children”
2008 Conference Poster: Regional Center for Excellence National Meeting for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research, Chicago, IL “The Translational Critical Path Initiative (TCPI) Catalyzes Discoveries into Products”
2007 Workshop: Working Group 29: Herbivory; ARC/NZ Vegetation Function Network; Workshop at The University of Sydney
2007 Conference Speaker: Annual Rocky Mountain Regional Center for Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research, Fort Collins, CO. “From Ideas to Products: How the Translational Development Subcommittee, Intellectual Property Subcommittee and Cores Work For You”
2005 Conference Speaker: International Mammalogical Congress, Symposium speaker for Defensive Strategies Against Plant Secondary Metabolites in Mammals, “Overlapping lessons from human-drug interactions and plant-herbivore interactions”, Sapporo, Japan
2004 Conference Speaker: Plant-Animal Interactions Gordon Research Conference postdoctoral speaker, “The importance of regulated absorption of plant secondary metabolites by herbivores”, Ventura Beach, CA
2004 Conference Speaker: Third International Conference of Comparative Physiology & Biochemistry in Africa: Animals and Environments, “Mammalian herbivores modify foraging patterns to regulate exposure to plant secondary metabolites”, Ithala Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Synergestic Acitivites

2008                Volunteer field leader for Small Mammal Trapping during BioBlitz, Boise, ID
2005-08           Reviewer for Oecologia, Journal of Chemical Ecology, Journal of Zoology
GRADUATE STUDENTS
 

Amy Ulappa – A major goal in the field of foraging ecology is to understand the interactions between herbivores and the plants they consume to determine the mechanisms involved in diet selection.  Two tenets of the optimal foraging hypothesis is that herbivores should maximize nutrient intake and minimize exposure to plant secondary metabolites. The objective of my proposed thesis research is to use the Greater Sage Grouse as a model study herbivore to investigate nutritional and chemical factors influencing diet selection of sagebrush during the winter when they are consuming primarily sagebrush.

 
Research Opportunities for Students
  

The interdisciplinary nature of my dissertation, postdoctoral and industrial research allows me to provide expertise and learning opportunities to students in a range of topics.   I can provide academic opportunities for students in physiological ecology in Australia and New Zealand, in wildlife conservation in collaboration with agencies in Idaho and in natural product drug discovery in academic and industrial settings.   I can offer a variety of research projects for undergraduate and graduate students that include: 1) the chemical analysis of plants; 2) the molecular analysis of animal offense against chemical insults; and 3) the toxicological, pharmacological and therapeutic effects of natural products in cells and whole organisms.  Moreover, I aim to demonstrate to students how to apply these studies to conservation, ecology and human health problems.  I believe that students are better prepared to postulate and adequately answer questions and succeed professionally if they are equipped with a range of tools I can provide them from a variety of disciplines.   Lastly, my goal is to develop international research and education opportunities for students with my colleagues in Australia and New Zealand.

If you are interested in joining the lab and conducting research for credit, as a volunteer or as a paid research assistant, please fill out this form and email it to Dr. Forbey.  She will get back to you regarding opportunities that may be available.

Forbey Lab Application