Phone: (509)-313-6692 Fax: (509)-313-5804 eMail: Office#: HU 224

I am a comparative physiologist and am interested in all aspects of animal physiology. My specific interests include the evolution of physiological systems and evolutionary biomechanics. Along these lines, my own research has included work in several areas.

• Evolution of biomaterials, examining diversity, evolutionary patterns and constraints in spider silk. Spider silk is an impressive natural fiber that has been shaped during millions of years of evolution. I study silks across different species in an attempt to connect gene evolution, mechanical properties, and ecological functions of silk.
• Biomechanics of fish swimming, examining the development of the axial musculoskeletal system and how morphological and physiological changes affect performance. This research uses comparative anatomy and high-speed imaging to examine the connections between complex morphological systems and performance.
• Feeding in polymorphic fish species, looking at the behavioral and ecological consequences of morphological and performance variation within species. This research uses ecological experiments and high-speed video to examine variability in performance and how that affects diversity

Education

• Ph.D., Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 2004. Dissertation title: Maintenance of morphological diversity in a polymorphic cichlid fish (Herichthys minckleyi)
• B.S., Biology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, 1999.

Professional Experience

• Assistant Professor of Biology, Gonzaga University, 2006-present.
• Visiting Associate Professor of Biology, Pacific University, 2005-2006.
• Post-Doctoral Researcher: University of California, Riverside, 2004-2005.
• Lecturer, Northern Arizona University, 2004.
• Graduate Research Fellow, US Environmental Protection Agency, Science To Achieve Results program, 2001-2004.
• Laboratory instructor, Northern Arizona University

Teaching Responsibilities

Diversity of Life (Bio 101); Advanced Topics (Bio 399); Comparative Physiology (Bio 441)

Publications

• Swanson, B.O., Blackledge, T.A., Summers, A.P., Hayashi, C.Y. 2006. Spider dragline silk: correlated and mosaic evolution in high performance biological materials. Evolution 60(12): in press.
• Swanson, B.O., Blackledge, T.A., Beltr‡n, J. Hayashi, C.Y. 2006. Variation in the material properties of spider dragline silk across species. Journal of Applied Physics 82(2): 213-218.
• Gibb, A.C., Swanson, B.O., Wesp, H.M., Landels, C., and Liu, C. 2006. The development of escape performance in teleost fishes: Do ontogenetic changes enable improved escape performance? Physiological and biochemical Zoology 79(10): 7-19.
• Swanson, B.O., Gibb, A.C., Marks, J.C., Hendrickson, D.A. 2005. Do kinematics vary between lab and field feeding behaviors in a Mexican cichlid? Environmental Biology of Fishes 74(2): 199-206.
• Swanson, B.O. 2005. Maintenance of diversity in a polymorphic species (Herichthys minckleyi). Buntbarsche Bulletin 228: 27-35
• Swanson, B.O., and Gibb, A.C. 2004. Kinematics of aquatic and terrestrial escape responses in mudskippers. Journal of Experimental Biology 207: 4037-4044
• Swanson, B.O., Gibb, A.C., Marks, J.C., Hendrickson, D.A. 2003. Trophic polymorphism and behavioral differences decrease intra-specific competition in a cichlid, Herichthys minckleyi. Ecology 84(6): 1441-1446.