Christopher R. Lage

Research

Dr. Lage’s primary research interest involves the use of DNA technology to investigate wildlife and fisheries populations in and around Maine. Understanding the genetic structure of harvested, threatened, or endangered populations is paramount for their effective management & conservation. DNA technology is also an important tool for assisting the Maine Warden Service with molecular forensic analysis of suspected poaching cases.

Dr. Lage has worked with wildlife and fisheries species including white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), moose (Alces alces), Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), cod (Gadus morhua), haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), spiny dogfish sharks (Squalus acanthias), Savannah sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis), and Eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo). Upcoming projects will include working with white-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis), and hopefully, bumblebees (Bombus impatiens & Bombus terricola). Dr. Lage has also worked with mice (Mus musculus) and zebrafish (Danio rerio) as models for human disease in projects involving functional genetic research.

Education

B.S., University of Vermont, 1995.
M.S., University of Maine, 2000.
Ph.D., University of Maine, 2005.

Recent Recognition

(2010) UMA Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award

(2010-present) Society for Wildlife Forensic Science, National Fish & Wildlife Forensic Laboratory certification

Recent Presentations

2010-2015 – University of Maine Molecular Forensic Laboratory case reports

2014 – “The use of molecular tools for conservation, management & forensics” – Maine Maritime Academy

2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 – Maine EPSCoR Sustainability Solutions Initiative conference, UMaine (posters)

2012, 2013 – Undergraduate Research Day at the Maine State House (posters)

2012 – “Undergraduate research in biology at UMA” – University of Maine at Augusta

2011 – “Wild turkeys and Maine agriculture” Maine EPSCoR AAAS, UMaine

2010 – “STEM-related activities at UMA” Maine STEM Conference, UMaine

2010 – “The use of molecular genetics in wildlife biology” – Southern Maine Community College

Peer-reviewed Publications

Sullivan C, Goody MF, Peterman EM, Rodriguez-Nunez I, Lage CR, Yoder JA, Postlethwait JH, & Kim C. (in revision) Functional evolution of the tnf-alpha inducible protein 8-like 1 gene in vertebrate immune homeostasis
Lage CR, Simard M, & Wray C. (in prep) Temporal genetic variation among spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) from the Gulf of Maine, U.S.A

Lage CR, Simard M, & Wray C. (2010) Temporal Molecular Variation among Squalus acanthias from the Gulf of Maine. Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory Bulletin vol. 49, 104-105.

Sullivan C, Charette J, Catchen J, Lage CR, Giasson G, Postlethwait JH, Millard PJ, Kim CH. (2009) The Gene History of Zebrafish tlr4a and tlr4b Is Predictive of Their Divergent Functions. Journal of Immunology, 183, 5896-5908

Lage CR & Wray C. (2009) Microsatellite Variation in Squalus acanthias from the Gulf of Maine. Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory Bulletin vol. 48, 47.

Simard M, Lage CR, & Wray C. (2009) Molecular Variation in the Mitochondrial D-loop of Squalus acanthias from the Gulf of Maine. Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory Bulletin vol. 48, 45-46.

Lage CR, Peterson CW, Forest D, Barnes D, Kornfield I, & Wray C, (2008) Evidence of multiple paternity in spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) broods based on microsatellite analysis. Journal of Fish Biology, 73, 2068-2074.

Nayak AS, Lage CR, Kim CH (2007) Effects of Low Concentrations of Arsenic on the Innate Immune System of the Zebrafish (Danio rerio). Toxicological Sciences, 98(1):118-124

Sullivan C, Postlethwait JH, Lage CR, Millard PJ, & Kim CH (2007) Evidence for Evolving Toll-IL-1 Receptor-Containing Adaptor Molecule Function in Vertebrates. Journal of Immunology, 178 (7):4517-27

Lage CR, Nayak A, & Kim CH (2006) Arsenic ecotoxicology and innate immunity. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 46:1040-1054.

Lage CR & Kornfield I. (2006) Reduced genetic diversity and effective population size in an endangered Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) population from Maine, U.S.A., Conservation Genetics, 7:91-104.

Lage CR, Kuhn K, Kornfield I. (2004) Genetic differentiation among Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) from Browns Bank, Georges Bank, and Nantucket Shoals. Fishery Bulletin, 102:289-297.

Lage CR, Purcell M, Fogarty M, Kornfield I. (2001) Microsatellite analysis of Atlantic haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) population structure in the NW Atlantic. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 58:982-990.

Lage CR, Kornfield I. (1999) Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in Atlantic haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus). Molecular Ecology, 8: 1355-1357.

Fraefel C, Jacoby D, Lage CR, Hilderbrand H, Chou J, Alt F, Breakfield X, Majzoub J. (1997) Gene Transfer into Hepatocytes Mediated by Helper Virus–Free HSV/AAV Hybrid Vectors. Molecular Medicine, 12: 813-825.