Biography

Erick has had an alternative route to becoming a scientist. Initially, he fell in love with Greco-Roman mythology and history and thought about becoming an archaeologist. In addition, Erick has always had a fondness and curiosity about animals and nature, and also became interested in biology. He decided to dual major in both and took some time after undergrad to work and discover where his path might lead. Erick spent that time working in various labs in Atlanta on various topics including studying cryptic genetic variation in C. elegans as well as SIV/HIV pathogenesis in Rhesus macaques. Through this, Erick found an interest in physiology and metabolism and a desire to understand the mechanisms of how organisms adapt and survive in different conditions. Paired with an interest in marine ecosystems, this lead him to the Weis lab at Oregon State University to study the cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis in coral reefs.

Research

Advised by Virginia Weis

Erick's research focuses on the underpinnings of nutrition and metabolism in the cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis. Specifically, Erick studies the partitioning of resources in the asexual reproductions of corals. He uses the sea anemone model system Aiptasia to look at how different feeding regimens and environmental conditions affect the types of nutrients that are allocated to pedal lacerates and how this changes throughout different life stages and development.

Teaching

Erick has taught several different courses in the Biology department of OSU including the introductory biology series, the human anatomy and physiology series, as well as the invertebrate biology class. Through these classes he has found a variety of students with different interests and learning styles and seeks better ways to communicate his own research as well as the course material in a way that everyone can understand.

Classes Taught

• BI 221, 222, 223: Principles of Biology
• BI 341, 342, 343: Human Anatomy and Physiology
• Z 362: Invertebrate Biology

Education

Erick has had an alternative route to becoming a scientist. Initially, he fell in love with Greco-Roman mythology and history and thought about becoming an archaeologist. In addition, Erick has always had a fondness and curiosity about animals and nature,

Research areas