James M. Newcomb Department of Biology and Health Science Work phone: 603-428-2374 New England College E-mail: [email protected] 98 Bridge St Henniker, NH, 03242 ___________________________________________________________________ ACADEMIC POSITIONS: • Co-Director of Center for Undergraduate Science Research New England College 2019 - present • Professor New England College 2017 - present • Associate Professor New England College 2012 - 2017 • Assistant Professor New England College 2006 - 2012 EDUCATION: • Ph.D. in Biology Georgia State University 2006 • M.S. in Zoology University of New Hampshire 2001 • B.S. in Zoology University of New Hampshire 1998 • B.S. in Chemistry/Physics Keene State College 1989 ___________________________________________________________________ AWARDS: • Best Poster, University of New Hampshire Graduate Research Conference (2017) • Inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa, National Leadership Honor Society (2016) • Best Poster, Northeast Undergraduate Research and Development Symposium (2010) • Best Poster, International Congress for Neuroethology (2004) • Oak Ridge Associated Universities Graduate Student Award to attend the 53rd Meeting of Nobel Laureates (2003) • Award for Outstanding Instruction, Georgia State University (2003) • Award for Outstanding Instruction, Georgia State University (2002) • Outstanding Achievements in Research, University of New Hampshire (2001) ___________________________________________________________________ GRANT FUNDING (Total Extramural Awards of ~$829,000, as of 04/02/21): • National Institutes of Health New Hampshire IDeA Network of Biological Research Excellence Seed Grant, PI: James M. Newcomb, “Regeneration in a new invertebrate model system, Berghia stephanieae”, $20,000 (pending review) • National Institutes of Health BRAIN Initiative U19 Grant, subcontract PI: James M. Newcomb, “Berghia BRAIN project”, $143,839 (pending review) • National Institutes of Health New Hampshire IDeA Network of Biological Research Excellence Targeted Incentive Grant, PI: James M. Newcomb, “Nudibranch opsins: identification, localization, and potential extraocular photoreception and circadian rhythms”, $4000 (2021) • National Institutes of Health New Hampshire IDeA Network of Biological Research Excellence and Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence Collaborative Grant, co-PI: James M. Newcomb, “Ultrastructural analysis of axonal Kv2-mediated endoplasmic reticulum/plasma membrane (ER/PM) junctions”, $162,223 (2020-2021) • National Institutes of Health New Hampshire IDeA Network of Biological Research Excellence and Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence Collaborative Grant, co-PI: James M. Newcomb, “Development of a noninvasive method for neural stimulation, using an ex vivo brain model.”, $159,000 (2019-2020) • National Institutes of Health New Hampshire IDeA Network of Biological Research Excellence Seed Grant, PI: James M. Newcomb, “The evolution of opsins in nudibranch molluscs and their localization in neural and dermal extraocular photoreceptors”, $18,000 (2018-2019) • National Institutes of Health New Hampshire IDeA Network of Biological Research Excellence Grant, PI: James M. Newcomb, “Neural mechanisms of circadian rhythms and interactions between clocks”, $267,789 (2015-2018) • National Institutes of Health New Hampshire IDeA Network of Biological Research Excellence Grant, PI: James M. Newcomb, “Molecular and neural mechanisms of circadian rhythms in a gastropod model system”, $89,000 (2013-2015) • Marion and Jasper Whiting Fellowship, $5600 (2012) • National Institutes of Health New Hampshire IDeA Network of Biological Research Excellence Grant, PI: James M. Newcomb, “Properties of a circadian pacemaker and its regulation of locomotion”, $117,000 (2010-2013) • Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Grant, “Tropical marine biology”, $300 (2010) • Office of Engaged Learning Development Grant, “Tropical marine biology”, $500 (2010) • Gilmore Grant, “Tropical marine biology equipment”, Co-PIs: Eric J. Simon, James M. Newcomb, $1220 (2010) • Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Grant, “Tropical marine biology”, $1900 (2009) • Office of Engaged Learning Development Grant, “Tropical marine biology”, $500 (2009) • Conchologists of America Academic Grant, “Localization of Period protein immunoreactivity in the eyes and central nervous system of the nudibranch Melibe leonina”, $1500 (2009) • Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Grant, “Enhancing the physiological study of nature”, $1000 (2009) • Office of Engaged Learning Development Grant, “Neurobiology and brain awareness”, $600 (2008) • Gilmore Grant, “Engaged student laboratories”, Co-PIs: Tod Ramseyer, James Newcomb, $2500 (2008)19 • Campus Compact Engaged Department Initiative, Co-PIs: Debra Nitschke-Shaw, Waco Worley, Wayne Lesperance, James Newcomb, Susan Redditt, Pamela Clark; $3500 (2008-2010) • Gilmore Grant, “Cold-water tank for housing marine invertebrates”, $3090 (2006) • Center for Behavioral Neuroscience Education Venture Grant, "Georgia Aquarium education/research project", PI: Paul Katz; Co-PI: Barbara Baumstark, Laura Carruth, Charles Derby, Kyle Frantz, Matthew Grober, Lisa Hayden, James Newcomb, Struan Smith; $6300 (2005) • International Society for Neuroethology Heiligenberg Award, "Systematic investigation of the behavioral functions of homologous serotonergic neurons in nudibranch molluscs", $800 (2004) • Center for Marine Biology Research Grant, “Nitric oxide (NO) in the central nervous system of the gastropod Melibe leonina: NO-induced cGMP production and culturing of nitrergic neurons”, $1250 (2001) • University of New Hampshire Summer Fellowship, "Localization of nitric oxide synthase in the central nervous system of Helisoma trivolvis and the putative role of nitric oxide as a neuromodulator of the feeding central pattern generator", $2000 (2000) • Center for Marine Biology Grant, $1300 (2000) • Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Grants-In-Aid of Research, "Modulation of the swim central pattern generator in the nudibranch Melibe leonina by nitric oxide", $700 (2000) • George Moore Fellowship, $500 (2000) ___________________________________________________________________ GRANT INVOLVEMENT: • National Institutes of Health SBIR/STTR Grant, Advisor: James M. Newcomb, “SmartResponseTM – a novel application of serious gaming technologies for concussion (mTBI) training school and college educators in Return To School competencies”, $153,344 (pending review) ___________________________________________________________________ PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS (Cited 918 times as of 05/03/21): 1) Watson WH III, Bourque KMF, Sullivan JR, Miller M, Buell A, Kallins MG, Curtis NE, Pierce SK, Blackman E, Urato S, Newcomb JM (in press) The digestive diverticula in the carnivorous nudibranch, Melibe leonina, do not contain photosynthetic symbionts. Integrative Organismal Biology. 2) Watson WH III, Nash A, Lee C, Patz MD, Newcomb JM (2020) The distribution and possible roles of small cardioactive peptide in the nudibranch Melibe leonina. Integrative Organismal Biology 2(1):obaa016. https://doi.org/10.1093/iob/obaa016. 3) Duback VE, Thomas RI, Huyck TL, Mbarani IM, Bernier KR, Cook GM, Pankey MS, O’Dowd CA, Newcomb JM, Watson WH III (2018) Localization and expression of putative circadian clock transcripts in the brain of the nudibranch Melibe leonina. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology 223: 52-59. PMCID: PMC5995673. 4) Cook GM, Gruen AE, Morris J, Pankey MS, Senatore A, Katz PS, Watson WH III, Newcomb JM (2018) Circadian clock proteins in the nudibranch mollusks Hermissenda crassicornis, Melibe leonina, and Tritonia diomedea. Biological Bulletin 234: 207-218. PMCID: PMC6180908. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/698467 5) Fromm B, Billip T, Peck LE, Johansen M, Tarver J, King B, Newcomb JM, Sempere LF, Flatmark K, Hovig E, Peterson KJ (2015) A uniform system for the annotation of human microRNA genes and the evolution of the human microRNAome. Annual Review of Genetics 49: 213-242. doi:10.1146/annurev- genet-120213-092023. PMCID: PMC4743252. 6) Sevigny JL, Kirouac LE, Thomas WK, Ramsdell JS, Lawlor KE, Sharifi O, Grewal S, Baysdorfer C, Curr K, Naimie AA, Okamoto K, Murray JA, Newcomb JM (2015) The mitochondrial genomes of the nudibranch mollusks, Melibe leonina and Tritonia diomedea, and their impact on gastropod phylogeny. PLoS ONE 10(5): e0127519. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0127519. PMCID: PMC4440745. 7) Newcomb JM, Kirouac LE, Naimie AA, Bixby KA, Lee C, Malanga S, Raubach M, Watson WH III (2014) Circadian rhythms of crawling and swimming in the nudibranch mollusk Melibe leonina. Biological Bulletin 227: 263-273. PMCID: PMC4479187. 8) Newcomb JM, Sakurai A, Lillvis JL, Gunaratne C, Katz PS (2012) Homology and homoplasy of swimming behaviors and neural circuits in Nudipleura (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Opisthobranchia). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 109: 10669-10676. doi:10.1073/pnas.1201877109. PMCID: PMC3386871 9) Lewis SL, Lyons DE, Meekins TL, Newcomb JM (2011) Serotonin influences locomotion in the nudibranch mollusc Melibe leonina. Biological Bulletin 220: 155-160. PMCID: PMC4479179. 10) Sakurai A, Newcomb JM, Lillvis JL, Katz PS (2011) Different roles for homologous interneurons in species exhibiting similar rhythmic behaviors. Current Biology 21: 1036-1043. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2011.04.040. 11) Newcomb JM, Katz PS (2009) Different functions for homologous serotonergic interneurons and serotonin in species-specific rhythmic behaviors. Proceedings of