University of Tennessee

Department of Mathematics, Mathematical Ecology Concentration

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Research Interests

E-mail: eaton "at" math "dot" utk "dot " edu

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Other Research Interests

· Modeling Interneurons in the Cricket Cercal Sensory System

As a graduate student at the University of Maine, I created models of ion channels in interneurons of the cricket cercal system with Dr. Sharon Crook.  We used experimental data from Kloppenburg and Horner (1998) to formulate our models.  We also used frequency response data provided by our collaborators at Montana State to drive simulations of our model.

· Modeling Fast-Spiking Cells

As an undergraduate at the University of Maine, I worked with Dr. Sharon Crook to model the behavior of fast-spiking cells in somatosensory neocortex. I used a detailed ion channel model to simulate the behavior of coupled cells using different types chemical and electrical synapses. I also studied the underlying mathematical structure of the models and how that structure contributes to the behavior, i.e. heterogeneity in spike timing and in coupling types and strengths.

· Spatio-Temporal Panning and Zooming

Topological Models in Geographic Information Systems - Explored a topological approach to alternative methods of representing spatial data of relationships objects in the context of applications in Geographic Information Systems. Under the supervision of Dr. Robert Franzosa at the University of Maine.

Selected Publications

 

Eaton, CD, S Crook, G Cummins and GA Jacobs. 2004. Modeling ion channels from the cricket cercal sensory system. Neurocomputing 58-60:409-415

Current Research

 

I am using fig/fig-wasp as a model organisms for understanding the evolutionary and ecological forces that promote species diversity.  It has been noticed that that there is a breakdown of one-to-one correspondence between fig species and fig wasp species, even within one fig tree.  This suggests the sympatric speciation of fig-wasps.  In general this system is extremely diverse with fig wasp species numbering in the thousands.  To understand what role interspecific mutualism and perhaps intraspecific competition might play in diversification, I am constructing an explicit population genetic model.

 

Work supervised by Dr. Sergey Gavrilets of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and the Department of Mathematics.

 

See my Evolution06 poster in .jpg format