Alexander J. Douglas

I began my M.Sc. studies in Fall 2019 and transferred to the PhD program in Fall 2020. My research aims to identify novel antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from the skin of the North American wood frog, determine the factors that influence their expression, and describe their role in innate immune defence. I will be investigating the activity of these AMPs against microbes, particularly the epizootic amphibian pathogen Frog Virus 3, and their influence on immune gene expression in cultured frog cells.

My previous research focused on the skin microbiome of the North American wood frog. I used high-throughput sequencing of a portion of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene to identify the microbes present on wood frog skin and determine whether the composition of the microbiome changes seasonally.

In my free time I enjoy cycling, weightlifting, experimental home-brewing, and hiking with my two dogs. I’m usually consuming some combination of tea, punk rock, food and podcasts.

Awards

• J. Frank Brookfield Memorial Graduate Scholarship (2021)
• Waterloo Pioneers of Microbiology Award (2020)
• University of Waterloo Graduate Scholarship (2019)
• NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (2019)

Publications

For a complete list of my publications and research activities, see my Google Scholar and LinkedIn profiles.

Douglas AJ, Hug LA and Katzenback BA. 2020. Composition of the North American wood frog (Rana sylvatica) bacterial skin microbiome and seasonal variation in community structure. Microbial Ecology.  Free preprint: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.28.921544v1

Education

Bachelor of Science – Biochemistry / Biotechnology Specialization, Honours, Co-operative, University of Waterloo

Service

Sports Coordinator – Biology Grad Students Association (2020/21)