Mara Laslo
Instructor in Biological Sciences Laboratory
I am excited to teach both majors and non-majors in introductory biology and a variety of other courses and am committed to empowering students to pursue science.
As an educator, I strive to center the student as a scientist in a welcoming and empowering environment. I structure classes to go beyond content by explicitly focusing on preparing students for their future careers. My students engage in metacognitive reflection, directly apply course concepts to their lives, and collaborate within an experiential and inclusive environment.
My research has spanned many different systems but has always been focused on the diversity of life. After receiving my undergraduate degree from University of Maryland, Baltimore County with a major in Biological Sciences with a minor in German, I pursued a Masters degree at American University with Dr. David Angelini and studied somatic sex determination genes in milkweed bugs. At American University I learned about the field of evolutionary developmental biology and I became fascinated by the idea that small changes in development can translate to evolutionary patterns of extraordinary diversity.
I continued in this field for my PhD in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. My PhD thesis, completed in Dr. James Hanken’s lab, was on the evolution and hormonal basis of direct development in frogs (this is a fascinating species where they lack the tadpole stage and develop directly into adults!). Teaching herpetology during my PhD reminded me that I love getting people excited about science. I pursued further training education at the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning and Harvard Medical School.
In my spare time, I like to ride my horses Pistachio and BlackJack, try new recipes, read sci-fi and fantasy books, and take walks to nearby bakeries.
Education
- B.S., University of Maryland, Baltimore County
- M.S., American University
- Ph.D., Harvard University
Current and upcoming courses
In this course we will focus on the cellular, evolutionary, and developmental biology of stem cells, how these cells contribute to development, regeneration, and aging in animals and plants, and how stem cells have been harnessed as novel patient therapies. Questions to be addressed include: How were stem cells discovered? Where do stem cells come from, and how can they be used to study and cure human diseases? What are the similarities and differences between embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells? How does the capacity to regenerate vary across the plant and animal kingdom and why? We will also discuss the scientific, bioethical and political controversies associated with regenerative medicine and recent stem cell research. Students will be able to explain how translational research, basic research, science policy, and the layman's perspective all impact how that science is done and where it could lead. In the lab, students will observe and track stem cells in developing embryos, visualize stem cells in a variety of organisms, and design experiments to test the limits of regeneration.
This course has a required co-requisite Laboratory - BISC 107L.