St. John 117

3190 Maile Way
Honolulu, HI 96822

Phone: (808) 956-7058

Fax: (808) 956-3894

Email: ania@hawaii.edu

http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/molecularecology/

Ania Wieczorek

Professor/Extension Specialist Molecular Ecology/Biotechnology 

Specialties:

Invasive species; Molecular phylogenetic; Population Genetics; Transgenic crops; Biotechnology; K-12 STEM education

Education:

B.S., Cum Laude, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 1994; Ph.D., University of the Western Cape, South Africa, 1999

Selected Websites:

  • http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/geneius-day/index.html

    • Research Interests:

    My research uses molecular techniques to address applied agricultural and ecological problems, especially invasive plant species. I also work on evolution of introduced species, using population genetics methods. I have experience in agricultural and social interactions surrounding GE crops, as well as biological questions related to systematics and conservation of plant- and animals species.

    Dr. Ania Wieczorek’s work has two areas of focus, the Molecular Ecology Lab concentrates on conservation and the management of invasive species through the application of DNA technology and the Biotechnology Outreach Program, which provides public education about agricultural biotechnology to a wide range of audiences and includes the Gene-ius Day Program. 

    Dr. Ania Wieczorek's research interests are broad and include addressing agricultural problems (such as invasive species management and risk assessment for genetically modified crops), environmental conservation, population genetics, and evolutionary biology. I address issues in these areas by molecular biology technology. She also has a strong interest in using molecular techniques to address basic and applied ecological problems and my research work includes both aspects, viz., problems of agricultural importance, combined with a basic study of the population genetics of groups of important invasive plants.

    In addition to this, Dr. Ania Wieczorek is the director of the Biotechnology Outreach Program. As she worked with adults and children in the community she recognized the need for the increased knowledge and awareness of genetics. This is important to her because with this knowledge, individuals are better able to understand and make decisions about biotechnology issues.

    Selected Publications:

    • Tran,C., Wieczorek,A.M., and Morden, C.W. 2015. "Genetic Structure and Diversity of a Rare Hawaiian Endemic, Lobelia villosa (Campanulaceae: Lobelioideae)." Pacific Science 69: 355-366
    • Vorsino, A. E., Wieczorek, A. M., Wright, W. G., & Messing, R. H. 2014. "Genetic analysis of an introduced biological control agent reveals temporal and geographic change, with little evidence of a host mediated shift". Biological Control 77: 41-50.
    • Lehman, A., Pender, R., Morden, C, and Wieczorek, A. 2014. "Assessment of the persistence of hybrids between alien pima cotton, Gossypium barbadense (Malvaceae) and endemic Hawaiian cotton, G. tomentosum in Hawai’I". Pacific Science 68: 85-96.
    • Knope ML, Pender RJ, Crawford DJ, Wieczorek AM. 2013. "Invasive congeners are unlikely to hybridize with native Hawaiian Bidens (Asteraceae)". American Journal of Botany100, 1221-1226.
    • Vorsino, A.E., Wieczorek, A. M., Wright, W. G., & Messing, R. H. 2012. "Using evolutionary tools to facilitate the prediction and prevention of host-based differentiation in biological control: a review and perspective". Annals of Applied Biology 160, 204-216.
    • Hardesty B.D., Le Roux, J.J., Rocha, O.J., Meyer, J-Y, Westcott, D. and Wieczorek, A.M. 2012. "Getting here from there: testing the paradigm of invasion success". Diversity and Distributions. 18:147-157.
    • Wieczorek, A. M. & Wright, M. G. 2012. "History of Agricultural Biotechnology: How Crop Development has Evolved". Nature Education Knowledge 3(3). (Invited paper)
    • Vorsino, A.E., Wieczorek, A. M., Wright, W. G., & Messing, R. H. 2012. "An analysis of heterosis and outbreeding depression among lab-reared populations of the parasitoid Diachasmimorpha tryoni (Cameron) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae); potential implications for augmentative release". Biological Control61: 26-31.
    • Dunbar-Co, S. Wieczorek, A.M. 2011. "Genetic structure among the most derived populations in the endemic Hawaiian Plantago lineage: insights from micro satellite variation". Plant Species Biology26: 125-192.
    • Andris, M., (multiple contributors in alphabetic order deleted for sake of brevity) Vorsino, A., Vossbrinck, C.R., Walzer, C., White, J. C., Wieczorek, A. and Wright, M. 2010. Permanent Genetic Resources added to Molecular Ecology Resources. Molecular Ecology Resources 10: 1106-1108.