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Dr. Ryan Paitz

Associate Professor of Endocrinology
School of Biological Sciences
Office
SLB Science Laboratory Building 254
Office Hours
by appointment
  • About
  • Education
  • Research

Biography

I am a comparative physiologist interested in how vertebrate embryos regulate their exposure to maternal steroids and environmental chemicals.

Current Courses

299.009Independent Honor Study

499.028Independent Research For The Master's Thesis

290.050Research In Biological Sciences

599.028Research In The Biological Sciences

204.001Biological Investigations

325.001Ecological Physiology of Animals

299.005Independent Honor Study

499.028Independent Research For The Master's Thesis

290.050Research In Biological Sciences

599.028Research In The Biological Sciences

Teaching Interests & Areas

Endocrinology, Comparative Physiology, Developmental Biology, Embryology

Research Interests & Areas

Embryonic development, steroid metabolism, maternal effects, steroids, endocrine disruption

Ph D Biological Sciences

Illinois State University
Normal, IL

BS Genetics

Iowa State University
Ames, IA

Journal Article

Breitenbach, A., Marroquin-Flores, R., Paitz, R., & Bowden, R. Experiencing short heat waves early in development changes thermal responsiveness of turtle embryos to later heat waves. Journal of Experimental Biology (2023)
Majer, A., Paitz, R., Tricola, G., Geuduldig, J., Litwa, H., Farmer, J., Prevelige, B., & Haussmann, M. The response to stressors in adulthood depends on the interaction between prenatal exposure to glucocorticoids and environmental context. Scientific Reports (2023)
Westrick, S., Paitz, R., & Fischer, E. Why not both? A case study measuring cortisol and corticosterone in poison frogs. BioRxiv (2023)
Marroquín-Flores, R. A., Paitz, R. T., & Bowden, R. M. (2022). Temperature fluctuations and estrone sulfate affect gene expression via different mechanisms to promote female development in a species with temperature-dependent sex determination. Journal of Experimental Biology, 225(16), jeb244211.
Rittinger, M. A., Bowden, R. M., Sauers, L. A., Paitz, R. T., Poppe, C. J., Thompson, C. F., & Sakaluk, S. K. (2022). Sex-specific effects of hatching order on nestling baseline corticosterone in a wild songbird. General and Comparative Endocrinology, 319, 113964.

Presentations

Avian embryos concurrently metabolize and respond to yolk corticosterone. Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology Meeting. (2023)
How to pick a lane: Exploring TSD mechanisms when embryos are exposed to male- and female-producing temperatures during development. Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology. (2022)
Rapid response of intron retention in Kdm6b may mediate the temperature response of testis-determining genes in the red-eared slider turtle. Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology. (2022)
Do thermal fluctuations affect gene expression differently than constant conditions?. Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology. (2021)
Heat Wave Timing, Continuity, and Length Affect Temperature-dependent Sex Determination in a Freshwater Turtle. Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology. (2019)
Do vertebrate eggs contain maternally derived steroidogenic enzymes that are susceptible to inhibition by endocrine disruptors?. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. (2015)
Does sex vary with season via maternal estrogens when temperatures fluctuate?. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. (2015)

Grants & Contracts

2023 Fall Firebird. Illinois State University. Illinois State University. (2023)
2023 Fall Firebird. Illinois State University. Illinois State University. (2023)
2023 Fall Firebird. Illinois State University. Illinois State University. (2023)
2023 Summer Firebird. Illinois State University. Illinois State University. (2023)