Johanna Varner
Academic Training
2015: Ph.D., University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Advisor: Denise Dearing
Thesis Title: Ecology and Behavior of the American Pika (Ochotona princeps) in a Time of Global Change.
2007: Master of Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA
Advisor: R.D. Kamm
Thesis Title: A microfluidic platform for three-dimensional neuron culture.
2006: Bachelor of Science in Biology, MIT, Cambridge, MA
Minor: Biomedical Engineering; Concentration: French
Undergraduate Genetics Research Advisor: H. Robert Horvitz
Advisor: Denise Dearing
Thesis Title: Ecology and Behavior of the American Pika (Ochotona princeps) in a Time of Global Change.
2007: Master of Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA
Advisor: R.D. Kamm
Thesis Title: A microfluidic platform for three-dimensional neuron culture.
2006: Bachelor of Science in Biology, MIT, Cambridge, MA
Minor: Biomedical Engineering; Concentration: French
Undergraduate Genetics Research Advisor: H. Robert Horvitz
Teaching
Spring 2016 - present: Associate Professor of Biology, Colorado Mesa University. Courses: Mammalogy Lecture & Lab, General Human Biology Lecture & Lab, Ecology and Evolution Lecture & Lab, Senior Thesis, Diversity of Organisms Lecture & Lab, Animal Behavior Lecture & Lab, Landscape and Literature in the Western Slope (interdisciplinary course co-taught with faculty from the English department)
Publications
Varner J, Carnes-Douglas ZJ, Dearing MD, Monk E, Benedict L, Whipple A, Griswold L, Bhattacharyya S, Ray C. (2023) Sampling a pika’s pantry: Temporal shifts in nutritional quality & over-winter preservation of American pika food caches. Ecosphere. DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4494
Flaherty EA, Lanier HC, Varner J, Duggan JM, Beckmann S, Yahnke C, Erb LP, Patrick L, Dizney L, Munroe K, Connors PK. (2023) Teaching mammalogy in the 21st century: Advances in undergraduate education. Journal of Mammalogy. DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyac121
Yahnke C, Lanier H, Flaherty EA, Varner J, Munroe K, Duggan JM, Erb LP, Dizney L, Connors PK. (2023) What should students be able to do? Embedding professional skills and competency into mammalogy courses. Journal of Mammalogy. DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyad035
Whipple AL, Ray C, Varner J, Kitchens JN, Hove AA, Castillo-Vardo JA, Wilkening JL. (2022) Stress associated metabolites vary with both season and habitat across populations of a climate sentinel species. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research. 54(1): 603-623.
Connors PK, Lanier HC, Erb LP, Varner J, Dizney L, Flaherty EA, Duggan JM, Yahnke CJ, Hanson JD. (2021) Connected while distant: Networking CUREs across classrooms to create community and inspire students. Integrative and Comparative Biology. 61(3): 934-943.
Whipple A, Ray C, Wasser M, Kitchens J, Hove A, Varner J, Wilkening J. (2021). Temporal analysis of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites to explore variation within and among territories of a climate-sensitive small mammal. Conservation Physiology. 9(1): coab024.
Dizney L, Varner J, Connors PK, Duggan JM, Lanier HC, Flaherty EA, Erb LP, Yahnke CJ, Hanson JD. (2021). Squirreling from Afar: Adapting the Squirrel-Net Modules to Remote Teaching & Learning. CourseSource. https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2021.2
Duggan JM, Varner J, Lanier HC, Flaherty EA, Dizney L, Yahnke CJ, Connors PK, Erb LP, Hanson JD. (2020). Squirrels in Space: Using radio telemetry to explore the space use and movement of sciurid rodents. CourseSource. https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2020.25
Yahnke CJ, Dizney L, Varner J, Duggan JM, Erb LP, Lanier HC, Flaherty EA, Connors PK, Hanson JD. (2020). Sorry to eat and run: A lesson for testing trade-offs in squirrel behavior using Giving Up Densities (GUD). CourseSource. https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2020.30
Dizney L, Connors PK, Varner J, Duggan JM, Lanier HC, Erb LP, Flaherty EA, Hanson JD, Yahnke C. (2020). An introduction to the Squirrel-Net Teaching Modules. CourseSource. https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2020.26
Connors PK, Varner J, Dizney L, Flaherty EA, Lanier HC, Duggan JM, Erb LP, Hanson J, Yahnke CJ. (2020). Squirreling Around for Science: Using Behavioral Observations of Sciurid Rodents to Investigate Trade-offs. CourseSource. https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2020.7
Varner J, Lanier HC, Duggan JM, Dizney L, Flaherty E, Connors PK, Erb LP, Yahnke C, Hanson JD. (2020) How many squirrels are in the shrubs? A lesson for comparing methods for population estimation. CourseSource. https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2020.6
Camp MG, Shipley L,Varner J, Waterhouse BD†. (2020). Activity patterns and foraging behavior of American pikas (O. princeps) differ between Craters of the Moon and alpine talus in Idaho. Western North American Naturalist. 80(1): 6. (†: CMU Student co-author)
Flaherty EA, Varner J, Duggan JM, Connors PK, and other Squirrel-Net authors. (2019). Incorporating course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) into wildlife education. The Wildlife Professional. 13: 32-35
Smith A, Beever EA,… Varner J, … Erb LP … (2019). Alternatives to genetic affinity as a context for within-species response to climate. Nature Climate Change. 9: 787–794.
Kohl KD, Varner J, Wilkening JL, Dearing MD. (2018). Gut microbial communities of American pikas (Ochotona princeps): evidence for phylosymbiosis and adaptations to novel diets. Journal of Animal Ecology. 87:323–330. PDF
Beever EA, Hall E, Varner J, Loosen A, Dunham J, Gahl MK, Smith FA, Lawler J. (2017). The role of behavioral plasticity in mitigating the effects of climate change. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 15(6): 299-308. (Cover story). PDF
Varner J, Horns JJ, Lambert MS, Westberg E, Ruff JS, Wolfenberger K, Beever EA, Dearing MD. Plastic pikas: Behavioral flexibility in low elevation pikas (Ochotona princeps). Behavioural Processes. 125: 63-71. PDF
Wilkening JL, Ray C, Varner J. (2016). When can we measure stress noninvasively? Postdepositional effects on a fecal stress metric confound a multiregional assessment. Ecology & Evolution. 6(2):502-513. [cover story]. Link
Varner J, Lambert MS, Horns JJ, Laverty S, Dizney L, Beever EA, Dearing MD. Too hot to trot? Evaluating the effects of wildfire on patterns of occupancy and abundance for a climate-sensitive habitat specialist. International Journal of Wildland Fire. 24(7) 921-932. [cover story] Link
Wilkening JL, Ray C, Varner J. (2015). Relating sub-surface water resources to physiological stress in an indicator species: implications for tracking effects of climate change in montane watersheds. PLoS ONE 10(3): e0119327. PDF
Varner J, Dearing MD, 2014. The importance of biologically relevant microclimates in species distribution models. PLoS ONE. 9(8): e104648 PDF
Varner J. Scientific outreach: towards effective public engagement with biological science. Bioscience. 64(4):333-340. Link.
Varner J, Dearing MD, 2013. Dietary plasticity in pikas (Ochotona princeps) as a strategy for novel resource landscapes. Journal of Mammalogy. 95(1):72–81. Link
Tharin S, Kothapalli CR, Ozdinler PH, Pasquina L, Chung S, Varner J, DeValence S, Kamm R, Macklis JD, 2012. A microfluidic device to investigate axon targeting by limited numbers of purified cortical projection neuron subtypes. Integrative Biology. 4(11):1398-1405. PDF
Varner J, Dearing MD, 2011. Estimating Duration of Infection Using Avidity Assays: Potential Limitations and Recommendations for Improvement. EcoHealth. 8(4):512-518. PDF
Lehmer EM, Jones JD, Bego MG, Varner JM, Jeor SS, Clay CA, Dearing MD, 2010. Long-Term Patterns of Immune Investment by Wild Deer Mice Infected with Sin Nombre Virus. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 83(5):847–857. PDF
Varner J, 2007. A microfluidic platform for three-dimensional neuron culture. M.Eng. Thesis. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. PDF
Flaherty EA, Lanier HC, Varner J, Duggan JM, Beckmann S, Yahnke C, Erb LP, Patrick L, Dizney L, Munroe K, Connors PK. (2023) Teaching mammalogy in the 21st century: Advances in undergraduate education. Journal of Mammalogy. DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyac121
Yahnke C, Lanier H, Flaherty EA, Varner J, Munroe K, Duggan JM, Erb LP, Dizney L, Connors PK. (2023) What should students be able to do? Embedding professional skills and competency into mammalogy courses. Journal of Mammalogy. DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyad035
Whipple AL, Ray C, Varner J, Kitchens JN, Hove AA, Castillo-Vardo JA, Wilkening JL. (2022) Stress associated metabolites vary with both season and habitat across populations of a climate sentinel species. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research. 54(1): 603-623.
Connors PK, Lanier HC, Erb LP, Varner J, Dizney L, Flaherty EA, Duggan JM, Yahnke CJ, Hanson JD. (2021) Connected while distant: Networking CUREs across classrooms to create community and inspire students. Integrative and Comparative Biology. 61(3): 934-943.
Whipple A, Ray C, Wasser M, Kitchens J, Hove A, Varner J, Wilkening J. (2021). Temporal analysis of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites to explore variation within and among territories of a climate-sensitive small mammal. Conservation Physiology. 9(1): coab024.
Dizney L, Varner J, Connors PK, Duggan JM, Lanier HC, Flaherty EA, Erb LP, Yahnke CJ, Hanson JD. (2021). Squirreling from Afar: Adapting the Squirrel-Net Modules to Remote Teaching & Learning. CourseSource. https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2021.2
Duggan JM, Varner J, Lanier HC, Flaherty EA, Dizney L, Yahnke CJ, Connors PK, Erb LP, Hanson JD. (2020). Squirrels in Space: Using radio telemetry to explore the space use and movement of sciurid rodents. CourseSource. https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2020.25
Yahnke CJ, Dizney L, Varner J, Duggan JM, Erb LP, Lanier HC, Flaherty EA, Connors PK, Hanson JD. (2020). Sorry to eat and run: A lesson for testing trade-offs in squirrel behavior using Giving Up Densities (GUD). CourseSource. https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2020.30
Dizney L, Connors PK, Varner J, Duggan JM, Lanier HC, Erb LP, Flaherty EA, Hanson JD, Yahnke C. (2020). An introduction to the Squirrel-Net Teaching Modules. CourseSource. https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2020.26
Connors PK, Varner J, Dizney L, Flaherty EA, Lanier HC, Duggan JM, Erb LP, Hanson J, Yahnke CJ. (2020). Squirreling Around for Science: Using Behavioral Observations of Sciurid Rodents to Investigate Trade-offs. CourseSource. https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2020.7
Varner J, Lanier HC, Duggan JM, Dizney L, Flaherty E, Connors PK, Erb LP, Yahnke C, Hanson JD. (2020) How many squirrels are in the shrubs? A lesson for comparing methods for population estimation. CourseSource. https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2020.6
Camp MG, Shipley L,Varner J, Waterhouse BD†. (2020). Activity patterns and foraging behavior of American pikas (O. princeps) differ between Craters of the Moon and alpine talus in Idaho. Western North American Naturalist. 80(1): 6. (†: CMU Student co-author)
Flaherty EA, Varner J, Duggan JM, Connors PK, and other Squirrel-Net authors. (2019). Incorporating course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) into wildlife education. The Wildlife Professional. 13: 32-35
Smith A, Beever EA,… Varner J, … Erb LP … (2019). Alternatives to genetic affinity as a context for within-species response to climate. Nature Climate Change. 9: 787–794.
Kohl KD, Varner J, Wilkening JL, Dearing MD. (2018). Gut microbial communities of American pikas (Ochotona princeps): evidence for phylosymbiosis and adaptations to novel diets. Journal of Animal Ecology. 87:323–330. PDF
Beever EA, Hall E, Varner J, Loosen A, Dunham J, Gahl MK, Smith FA, Lawler J. (2017). The role of behavioral plasticity in mitigating the effects of climate change. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 15(6): 299-308. (Cover story). PDF
Varner J, Horns JJ, Lambert MS, Westberg E, Ruff JS, Wolfenberger K, Beever EA, Dearing MD. Plastic pikas: Behavioral flexibility in low elevation pikas (Ochotona princeps). Behavioural Processes. 125: 63-71. PDF
Wilkening JL, Ray C, Varner J. (2016). When can we measure stress noninvasively? Postdepositional effects on a fecal stress metric confound a multiregional assessment. Ecology & Evolution. 6(2):502-513. [cover story]. Link
Varner J, Lambert MS, Horns JJ, Laverty S, Dizney L, Beever EA, Dearing MD. Too hot to trot? Evaluating the effects of wildfire on patterns of occupancy and abundance for a climate-sensitive habitat specialist. International Journal of Wildland Fire. 24(7) 921-932. [cover story] Link
Wilkening JL, Ray C, Varner J. (2015). Relating sub-surface water resources to physiological stress in an indicator species: implications for tracking effects of climate change in montane watersheds. PLoS ONE 10(3): e0119327. PDF
Varner J, Dearing MD, 2014. The importance of biologically relevant microclimates in species distribution models. PLoS ONE. 9(8): e104648 PDF
Varner J. Scientific outreach: towards effective public engagement with biological science. Bioscience. 64(4):333-340. Link.
Varner J, Dearing MD, 2013. Dietary plasticity in pikas (Ochotona princeps) as a strategy for novel resource landscapes. Journal of Mammalogy. 95(1):72–81. Link
Tharin S, Kothapalli CR, Ozdinler PH, Pasquina L, Chung S, Varner J, DeValence S, Kamm R, Macklis JD, 2012. A microfluidic device to investigate axon targeting by limited numbers of purified cortical projection neuron subtypes. Integrative Biology. 4(11):1398-1405. PDF
Varner J, Dearing MD, 2011. Estimating Duration of Infection Using Avidity Assays: Potential Limitations and Recommendations for Improvement. EcoHealth. 8(4):512-518. PDF
Lehmer EM, Jones JD, Bego MG, Varner JM, Jeor SS, Clay CA, Dearing MD, 2010. Long-Term Patterns of Immune Investment by Wild Deer Mice Infected with Sin Nombre Virus. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 83(5):847–857. PDF
Varner J, 2007. A microfluidic platform for three-dimensional neuron culture. M.Eng. Thesis. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. PDF
Patents
Kamm RD, Asada HH, Farahat WA, Zervantonakis LK, Wood LB, Kothapalli C, Chung S, Macklis J, Tharin S, Varner J, Park YK, Lee KH, Tu NLT, Kim C, Inventors; 2012 April 19. Device for High-Throughput Investigations of Cellular Interactions. United States patent WO2012050981.
Select Activities and Professional Service
- Chair: Education, Outreach and Citizen Science Committee, North American Pika Consortium
- Human Diversity Committee, American Society of Mammalogists
- Graduate Students and Education Committee, American Society of Mammalogists
- ESA Committee on Diversity and Education. Link
- AAAS Mass Media Fellow, KQED San Francisco
- Conference Communications Committee, Citizen Science Association
