Moriah Wood
Title: IB PhD Student
Dept/Program: Biology
Email: mw321@uakron.edu
Biography
I graduated from Otterbein University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoo and Conservation Science, Equine Pre-Vet/Pre-Graduate Studies, Biology, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. At Otterbein, I was an equine research assistant, assisting in parasite research at the Austin E. Knowlton Equine Center. For my undergraduate Distinction thesis, I studied the effects of benzyl isothiocyanate and papain on equine ascarid egg hatching. I also studied α-Casozepine supplementation on foal growth and cortisol levels before and after weaning. My interdisciplinary experiences at Otterbein led me to the University of Akron’s Integrated Bioscience program.
I am currently working with Dr. Rachel Olson to study feeding kinematics in small carnivorans, specifically skunks, ferrets, and raccoons. I hope to compare tongue and jaw coordination with and without the presence of nerve blocks and make comparisons using foods of varying mechanical properties.