I am an organismal biologist, interested in evolutionary physiology, biomechanics, and biomaterials.Research in my lab focuses on three broad questions in biology, 1) how are organisms constructed and how do they function, 2) how and why does morphological diversity evolve, and 3) can we use the structures and materials built by organisms to improve human technology? To these ends, we study diverse groups of animals that have interesting morphologies and extreme performance. Specifically, we have been studying spider silk, fiddler crab claws, and mantis shrimp shells. I am always looking for motivated students to become involved in the research projects in my lab. 

See below for images of some of the organisms that we study and some of the places we study them.

Scroll down further for my CV.

Education

 

Doctor of Philosophy in Biological Sciences with distinction, Northern Arizona University: December 2004

Bachelor of Science with highest honor, Biological Sciences, with concentrations in Marine Biology and Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology: May 1999

 

Professional Appointments

 

2010 - present     Associate Professor of Biology, Gonzaga University

2006-2010          Assistant Professor of Biology, Gonzaga University.

2005-2006                   Visiting Associate Professor of Biology: Pacific University.

2004-2005                    Post-Doctoral Researcher: University of California, Riverside. 

2004                   Lecturer: Northern Arizona University.

2001-2004          Graduate Research Fellow: US Environmental Protection Agency, Science To Achieve Results    program.

2000-2001           Laboratory instructor: Northern Arizona University. 

1997-1999         Undergraduate researcher: Florida Tech

 

Peer Reviewed Publications

 

2009    Swanson, B.O.,  Anderson, S.*, DiGiovine, C.*, Ross, R., Dorsey, J.* Evolution of complex biomaterial performance: the case of spider silk. Integrative and Comparative Biology 49:21-31.

2009    Dean, M., Swanson, B.O., Summers, A.P. Biomaterials: properties, variation and evolution. Integrative and Comparative Biology 49: 15-20.

2009    Collin, M., Camama, E., Swanson, B.O., Edgerly, J.S., Hayashi, C.Y. Comparison of embiopteran silks reveals tensile and structural similarities across taxa. Biomacromolecules.

2008    Swanson, B.O., Gibb, A.C., Marks, J.C., Hendrickson, D.A. Variation in foraging behavior facilitates resource partitioning in a polymorphic cichlid, Herichthys minckleyi. Environmental Biology of Fishes. 83:147-154

2007    Swanson, B.O., Blackledge, T.A., Hayashi, C.Y. Spider capture silk: performance implications of variation in an exceptional biomaterial. Journal of Experimental Zoology 307(11): 654-666.

2007    Gibb, A.C., Swanson, B.O. Liu, C.* Heterochrony and the development of the escape response: prehatching movements in the rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. Journal of Experimental Zoology 307(10): 556-567.

2006    Swanson, B.O., Blackledge, T.A., Summers, A.P., Hayashi, C.Y. Spider dragline silk: correlated and mosaic evolution in high performance biological materials. Evolution 60:2539-2551.

2006    Swanson, B.O., Blackledge, T.A., Beltrán, J.* Hayashi, C.Y. Variation in the material properties of spider dragline silk across species. Journal of Applied Physics A 82(2). 213-218.

2006    Gibb, A.C., Swanson, B.O., Wesp, H.M., Landels, C.*, and Liu, C.* The development of escape performance in teleost fishes: Do ontogenetic changes enable improved escape performance? Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. 79(1). 7-19.

2005    Swanson, B.O., Gibb, A.C., Marks, J.C., Hendrickson, D.A. Do kinematics vary between lab and field feeding behaviors in a Mexican cichlid? Environmental Biology of Fishes. 74(2). 199-206.

2004     Swanson, B.O., and Gibb, A.C. Kinematics of aquatic and terrestrial escape responses in mudskippers. Journal of Experimental Biology.207: 4037-4044.

2003    Swanson, B.O., Gibb, A.C., Marks, J.C., Hendrickson, D.A. Trophic polymorphism and behavioral differences decrease intra-specific competition in a cichlid, Herichthys minckleyi. Ecology 84(6). 1441-1446.

 

Other Publications

 

2009    Swanson, B.O. Review of Inspired by Biology: from molecules to materials to machines. In The Quarterly Review of Biology 84:183-184.

2005    Swanson, B.O. Maintenance of diversity in a polymorphic species (Herichthys minckleyi). Buntbarsche Bulletin 228. 27-35 .

 

Funded Grants

 

2010            AFOSR Young Investigators Program. $345,000

2010            NSF MRI for an ICP-MS co-PI $180,000

2009            Murdock Charitable Trust: Partners in Science grant with Bree Reynolds from Wellpinit High school. $15,000

2008            College of Arts and Sciences travel award for undergraduates attending a scientific meeting. $1000

2008            NSF symposium grant for "Biomaterials: testing variation and evolution." $10,280.

2008            AFOSR symposium grant for "Biomaterials: testing variation and evolution."  $5,000.

2008                        HHMI Undergraduate Science Education Program, co-PI $1.2 Million.

2007                        Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Defense University Research                                                 Instrumentation Program, $148,000.

2001-2004          EPA STAR fellowship to study morphological variation in polymorphic cichlids, $ 75,000

2003                        Jordan award for cichlid evolution research, $ 400

2001, 2003            NAU graduate college travel awards to attend scientific                                                                         meetings, $450

1999            Sigma Xi Grant in Aid of Research for neurophysiology, awarded spring, $ 900

 

Awards and Honors

 

2006            Recipient of a M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust Research Start-up Grant for New Science Faculty award

2005            Outstanding doctoral dissertation, NAU Biology Department

2004            Outstanding published paper with graduate student as senior author, NAU Biology department

1997-1999   Distinguished student scholar awards, Florida Tech Biology Department

1999            Member of Beta Beta Beta (Biology Honors Society)

 

Public dissemination of research

 

2010    Scholastic Fantastic: A small but vicious shrimp may change the way we go into modern battles. By Joel Smith. The Pacific Northwest Inlander, May 27^th

2008    The Mystery of the Peacock mantis shrimp and other tales of research - Big Science: The value of Research. By Sabrina Jones and Marny Lombard. Gonzaga Quarterly. Fall.

 

Service

 

2009-current     Gonzaga Biology Research Committee

2009                 Computer science faculty search committee member

2008                 Chair of two successful faculty searches in Biology

2008                 Biology faculty search committee member

2008-present    Gonzaga Health Sciences Committee

2002-2009       Committee member, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Public Affairs: Produce and edit symposium press releases for distribution to national and international journalists

2004-current    Reviewer, Biomacromolecules, The Quarterly Review of Biology, Journal of Experimental Zoology, Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Behavior and Brain Research, Ecology, Environmental Biology of Fishes, Behavour, Bioinspiration and Biomimetics, Journal of Morphology, Zoology, Journal of Theoretical biology, Murdock Charitable trust, NSF, NSERC, ARO.