Skip to main site navigation Skip to main content

Thrive On: The Campaign for Utica University →

Utica University Logo
  • Academics
    • Programs
      • Utica at Florida
    • General Education
      • Current Offerings
      • Program Details
      • Themed Pathways
      • Planning Sheet
    • Honors Program
    • Utica at Florida
    • Online Study
    • Graduate Study
    • International Ed & Study Abroad
      • Study Abroad
    • Exceptional Faculty
    • Research & Experiential Learning
      • Experiential Learning Courses
    • Student Support and Success
    • Schedules, Catalogs, and Resources
    • Institutes and Centers
  • Tuition and Financial Aid
    • Understanding Financial Aid
      • Value
      • Excelsior, Explained
      • University Scholarships
      • Endowed Scholarships
      • Annual Awards
      • Utica Enhanced Tuition Award
    • Applying For Financial Aid
    • Tuition and Fees
      • Tuition and Fees - Undergraduate Campus
      • Undergraduate Online Tuition and Fees
      • Florida Programs Tuition and Fees
      • ABSN Program Tuition
      • Graduate Tuition and Fees
    • Net Price Calculator
  • Admissions
    • First-Year Admissions
    • Transfer Admissions
      • Articulation Agreements
    • Florida Admissions
    • Graduate Admissions
    • International Applicants
      • International Inquiry Form
      • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Visit
      • Utica University Campus
      • Virtual Tour
      • Why Not Fly?
    • Apply Now
    • Contact Us
    • Accepted Student Info
    • High School Counselors
    • High School Bridge Program
  • Community
    • Living on Campus
      • Student Living
      • Campus Engagement and Student Activities
      • Dining
      • Greek Life
      • Campus Safety
      • Utica University Campus
    • Satellite Locations
    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
      • Bias Incident Reporting
      • Community Connections
      • DEI Collaborative
      • DEI Events
      • Dialogue on Race and Equity
      • LACRELA
      • Our Staff
      • Pronouns
      • DEI Reading Guides
      • Utica University Stance Statement
      • Wilcox Center
    • The Utica Area
      • Hotels and Restaurants in the Utica Area
    • Utica Stories
    • About Utica
  • Athletics
    • Intercollegiate Athletics
    • Esports
  • News & Events
  • Alumni
  • Giving
  • Apply Now
  • Directory
  • About
  • Library
  • Logins
  • COVID-19
Utica University

Jessica H. Thomas, Ph.D.

  1. Directory
  2. Jessica H. Thomas, Ph.D.
Dr. Jessica Thomas
Position
  • Full Professor of Biology
Phone
(315) 792-3755
Email
jhthomas@utica.edu
Office
  • 302 Science Annex
  • School of Arts & Sciences
Position type
Faculty

Jump To

    Dr. Thomas's web site
    jessicathomasbio.weebly.com

    Biography

    My studies focus on biomedical research, specifically how cells fuse in the developing nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans).

    Cell-cell fusion is a developmental process during which individual cells merge by fusing their plasma membranes and forming a shared cytoplasm.  The result is a multinucleated cell, which is also known as a syncytium.  Cell fusion is an essential process for fertilization to occur and to create, pattern, and maintain tissues such as skeletal muscle, bone, placenta, and the vertebrate eye lens.  In addition, cell fusion is shown to be involved in insect wound healing and fungal colony formation as well as cancer and stem cell biology (Shinn-Thomas and Mohler, 2011).  The only known proteins not of viral origin, EFF-1 and AFF-1 (a.k.a C. elegans fusion family (ceFF)), responsible for fusing cells have been identified in C. elegans (Mohler et al., 2002; Sapir et al., 2007).  I investigate the molecular and cellular regulation of EFF-1 and AFF-1 in cells fated to fuse in C. elegans using a variety of genetic, molecular, cellular, and microscopy techniques in order to further elucidate a common cell-cell fusion mechanism.

    Opportunities for Student Research and Collaboration

    Research with me usually involves working on some aspect of examining how cells fuse in C. elegans (a.k.a. “worms”).  However, I am also interested in and welcoming of collaborative research with other professors and their research.  After we discuss your interests, my interests, and the unanswered questions in which we are both interested, we will pick a problem for you to tackle, which very well may (and hopefully) lead to additional interesting questions.  Please visit the link to my lab web site to learn more about ongoing and potential research projects in my lab: https://jessicathomasbio.weebly.com/

    Education

    B.S. in Biology, Union College
    Ph.D. in Biomedical Science-Genetics and Developmental Biology, University of Connecticut Health Center

    Past Research

    Please visit my lab website for publications and presentations: https://jessicathomasbio.weebly.com/

    Courses Taught

    BIO 211 General Biology I (lab)
    BIO 232 Research Methods II
    BIO 321 Genetics (lecture and lab)
    BIO 322 Developmental Biology (lecture and lab)
    BIO 420 Special Topics in Biology
    BIO/ANB 450 Senior Research
    BIO 453 Molecular Biology (lecture and lab)
    BIO/ANB 495 Senior Seminar
    UCC 101 FirstYear Seminar

    I would like to see logins and resources for:

    For a general list of frequently used logins, you can also visit our logins page.

    Utica University Logo
    FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTube
    • Academics
    • Tuition and Financial Aid
    • Admissions
    • Community
    • Athletics
    1600 Burrstone Road, Utica, NY 13502
    Map & Directions
    (315) 792-3006
    Contact Us
    • Institutional Effectiveness
    • Bookstore
    • Disability Learning Support
    • Student Right to Know
    2022-2023 College of Distinction2022-2023 New York College of Distinction2022-2023 Business College of Distinction2022-2023 Education College of Distinction2022-2023 Nursing College of Distinction2022-2023 Career Development College of Distinction2022-2023 Equity & Inclusion College of Distinction2023-2024 Military Friendly (Silver)

    US News Award for Social Mobility