Resume

• 2010

  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

  Biology

  General

  University of Utah

• 2006

  Master of Engineering (M.Eng.)

  Biological Engineering

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• 2002

  Bachelor of Science (BSc)

  Biology

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  Bioinstrumentation and Measurement Lab

  Foundations of Bioinformatics

  Molecular

  Cell and Tissue Biomechanics

  Biochemistry

  Molecular Biology

  Thermal Fluids Engineering 1: Thermodynamics

  Heat and Mass Transfer

  Fluid Mechanics

  Design of Medical Devices and Implants

  Genetics

  Advanced Statistical Modeling for Biologists

  Neuroscience and Behavior

  Fluids

  Forces and Flows in Biological Systems

• Hunter or Hunted: Why Animals Have Differently Shaped Pupils

  Johanna Varner is excited to join KQED Science as a 2015 AAAS Mass Media Fellow. She recently finished her PhD in Biology from University of Utah

  where she studied how small mammals are responding to climate change. She also has past lives as an engineer

  a blueberry farmer

  and a baker. Outside of the lab

  Johanna has been active in designing authentic field research experiences for K-12 students and giving interactive public presentations about local mammals.

  Johanna Varner is excited to join KQED Science as a 2015 AAAS Mass Media Fellow. She recently finished her PhD in Biology from University of Utah

  where she

  Clips at KQED Science

  Social Media

  Public Speaking

  Project Management

  Science

  Microsoft Office

  Higher Education

  Data Analysis

  R

  Community Outreach

  Fundraising

  Teaching

  Biotechnology

  Program Management

  Ecology

  Microsoft Excel

  Nonprofits

  Climate Change

  PowerPoint

  Technical Writing

  Conservation Biology

  Varner J

  Dearing MD. Estimating Duration of Infection Using Avidity Assays: Potential Limitations and Recommendations for Improvement.

  Varner J

  Dearing MD. Estimating Duration of Infection Using Avidity Assays: Potential Limitations and Recommendations for Improvement.

  M. Denise Dearing

  Mammalian habitat specialists are suffering notable population declines and localized extinctions in response to climate change. Plastic behavioral responses

  especially in foraging

  may be critical for specialists to tolerate changes in temperature

  precipitation

  and resource availability. Here

  we investigate the foraging behavior of a mammalian alpine specialist living in atypical habitat. American pikas (Ochotona princeps) are typically limited to high elevations in western North America; however

  they persist near sea level in the Columbia River Gorge

  well outside their previously assumed climatic niche. We hypothesized that utilizing unusual food resources contributes to pika persistence in this unusual climate. Moss comprised more than 60% of the diet at 2 sites

  more than observed for any mammalian herbivore in the wild. Moss is available year-round in this habitat; thus

  by specializing on moss

  pikas do not have to construct large food caches to survive winter. These results suggest a larger degree of behavioral and dietary plasticity than previously assumed for this species. Understanding a species' capacity to adapt its foraging strategies to new resource landscapes will be essential to assessing its vulnerability to future climate change and to developing conservation plans.

  Dietary plasticity in pikas as a strategy for atypical resource landscapes

  Lehmer EM

  Jones JD

  Bego MG

  Varner JM

  Jeor SS

  Clay CA

  Dearing MD. Long-Term Patterns of Immune Investment by Wild Deer Mice Infected with Sin Nombre Virus.

  Most scientists agree that interacting with the public is a worthwhile endeavor

  but participation in science outreach remains fairly low among biologists. Furthermore

  current practices in science outreach remain largely based on ineffective communication models that may undermine public trust and interest. I argue that

  in trying to improve both participation rates and the effectiveness of science outreach

  we must take a more scientific approach

  and we must practice outreach with the same rigor as the science that we share with the public. Here

  I describe common misconceptions that can undermine the value of science communication with the public at many scales. I then describe an evidence-based

  iterative

  evaluative framework for biologists at all career stages to pursue public engagement in the biological sciences. These guidelines can also inform formal outreach training for scientists

  specifically in promoting dialogue and engagement.

  Scientific Outreach: Toward Effective Public Engagement with Biological Science

  Tharin S

  Kothapalli CR

  Ozdinler PH

  Pasquina L

  Chung S

  Varner J

  DeValence S

  Kamm R

  Macklis JD. A microfluidic device to investigate axon targeting by limited numbers of purified cortical projection neuron subtypes.

  Johanna

  Varner

  MIT

  KQED

  University of Utah

  Colorado Mesa University

  Colorado Mesa University

  Ph.D. Candidate

  - Research on foraging and thermoregulatory behavior of pikas in atypical and disturbed habitats \n- Co-founder and director

  Uintas Pika Watch: a long-term student-scientist field research program to track pika occupancy and population size in the Uinta Mountains\n- Founding member

  Cascades Pika Watch: a citizen-science pika monitoring program in OR/WA\n- Co-founder and director

  GALS (Graduate and Advanced Lady Scientists): an interdisciplinary

  cross-campus group to provide women with tools for a fulfilling and successful scientific career\n- Chair

  Citizen Science

  Outreach and Education Sub-Committee

  North American Pika Consortium\n- Member

  Public Education Committee

  American Society of Mammalogists

  University of Utah

  Technician

  Directed sampling periods to investigate Hantavirus dynamics: collected blood samples from rodents in the field and conducted ELISA assays in the lab

  University of Utah

  KQED

  Science reporting internship with KQED Science. Contributed to Deep Look episode production and authored several web posts.

  AAAS Mass Media Fellow

  San Francisco Bay Area

  •\tDesigned/patented a device to study development

  differentiation & projection of cortical motor neurons\n•\tManaged a large interdisciplinary team of engineers

  biologists and physicians

  MIT

  WO2012050981

  YK Park

  Suzanne Tharin

  Jeff Macklis

  Seok Chung

  LB Wood

  LK Zervantonakis

  WA Farahat

  HH Asada

  Roger Kamm

  WO2012050981

  French

  Gloria Barron Wilderness Scholarship

  Award for Uintas Pika Watch

  engaging 7th grade students in authentic field ecology research and discussions of the local effects of climate change

  The Wilderness Society

  Gene M. Brown Award

  Award for contributions to the biology teaching and research communities

  MIT Department of Biology

  Graduate Research Fellowship

  National Science Foundation