Nematology

Howard Ferris

  • Distinguished Professor Emeritus
Dr. Ferris' research interests include: Soil ecology; decomposition and nutrient cycling; contribution of nematodes to the structure and function of the soil food web. Population biology and population assessment of soil nematodes; integrated pest management.

Harry K. Kaya

  • Distinguished Professor Emeritus
Dr. Kaya's research interests include: Utilization of nematodes for biological control of insect pests; interaction between nematodes and other biological control agents; general insect pathology (protozoan, viral and fungal diseases of insects).

Shahid Siddique

  • Assistant Professor of Entomology and Nematology
Research in the Siddique lab focuses on basic as well as applied aspects of interaction between parasitic nematodes and their host plants. The long-term object of our research is not only to enhance our understanding of molecular aspects of plant–nematode interaction but also to use this knowledge to provide new resources for reducing the impact of nematodes on crop plants in California.
4208 Storer Hall

Steven A. Nadler

  • Professor and Chair
Research in my laboratory focuses on using phylogenetic trees inferred from nucleotide sequence data as a framework to understand biodiversity, morphological evolution, molecular evolution, and certain aspects of disease ecology. Many of my research questions focus on nematodes (both free-living and parasitic), although I also study other groups of parasites, including acanthocephalans. The main source of my laboratory funding comes from the National Science Foundation, and these research grants are often collaborative, involving investigators at UC Riverside (Jim Baldwin, Paul De Ley) and other institutions. Much of my recent evolutionary research has focused on nematodes of the suborder Cephalobina, a group that includes numerous bacterial-feeding species in soil, but also some parasitic taxa hosted by invertebrates, and more rarely mammals.

Ed P. Caswell-Chen

  • Professor Emeritus
My research interests are in integrated pest management and ecology of nematodes in agroecosystems. The research in my laboratory is focused on plant-parasitic nematode management, especially with respect to alternative management strategies as supplements to rotations and nematicide applications for use in sustainable agricultural production systems. We also conduct research on the ecology of aging in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. This research involves a demographic approach to aging, including investigating the natural ecology of the nematode, and how its life history features are reflective of its ecology.