Christopher J. Salice
Applied Ecology and Ecotoxicology at Texas Tech University
Greetings and welcome to the lab of Chris Salice at Texas Tech University!
Our lab focuses on issues in applied ecology. Our interests lie at the intersection of ecology, ecotoxicology and conservation biology. A large part of my research and professional efforts have related to understanding and evaluating the ecological consequences of toxicants such as heavy metals and pesticides. Currently, the lab is conducting research that builds on previous efforts and is also forging ahead into some new territory. One area we are particularly interested in is evolutionary responses to multiple stressors. There’s has been some exciting work in evolutionary biology regarding the nature and extent of adaptive responses and part of our objective is to apply some of these ideas to applied issues. We’ve also initiated some interesting research on the dunes sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus) and the potential effects of oil and gas production activities on this fascinating habitat specialist. Peruse the research and publications pages to see what we’re up to. Although our research is primarily empirically based, I encourage the use of mathematical modeling to better understand and interpret data and to address questions from a different perspective.
Our lab is part of the Environmental Toxicology Department in The Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH). TIEHH (pronounced “Tie”) includes a number of core faculty with differing expertise but a shared interest: improving environmental quality and human health through sound science. There are chemists, epidemiologists, statisticians and wildlife toxicologists offering excellent opportunities for collaboration. Further, Tech has both a Biology Department and a Department of Natural Resources, not to mention faculty in Math, Statistics and Civil Engineering.
