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jason

Jason S. Biggs, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Molecular Ecology

University of Guam Marine Laboratory


   Jason Biggs is an associate professor of molecular ecology at the Marine Laboratory, University of Guam. He also holds a joint appointment with the UOG Cancer Research Center.  Biggs' research is focused on understanding the ecological, physiological, and toxicological fates of natural and man-made chemicals in marine environments, what mechanisms allow marine organisms to survive in extreme environments brought on by climate variability, and the discovery of bioactive compounds from marine organisms.  Many of these studies require an integrated approach for which broad academic training is uniquely suited.  In addition, Jason also has an ardent interest in environmental concerns of the public. 

   Biggs earned his BS (1997) and MS (2000) in Biology at the University of Guam Marine Laboratory while studying Marine Chemical Ecology under the mentorship of Dr. Valerie J. Paul. For his Ph.D., he strove to diversify his scientific knowledge by integrating modern biochemical techniques into the field of marine chemical ecology and joined the department Pharmacology & Toxicology at the University of Utah.  After receiving his doctoral degree, Jason returned to the field of marine natural products drug discovery and joined the laboratory of Dr. Baldomero M. Olivera, where he began to research the biochemical properties and evolution of cone snail venoms.  In 2008, he returned to the Guam and became the first person of Chamorro decent to earn a tenure-track faculty position at the UOG Marine Laboratory and began fulfilling one of his lifelong goals: to provide Pacific Island students with the opportunity to conduct scientific research on the biodiversity found within their local resources by forging mutually-beneficial collaborations with internationally renowned institutions that create new and exciting opportunities to aspiring scientists attending the University of Guam.

    Biggs serves as the Marine Science Advisor to the Governor of Guam, and as a Guam-Representative on the Pacific Regional Planning Body.  He is a member of  the American Chemical Society and the American Society of Pharmacognosy, and has served as an editorial reviewer for numerous publications, including CultureGrams, Ecotoxicology, the Journal of Proteome Research, Molecular Biology and Evolution, Molecular Ecology, and Toxicon. He also serves the University as Chair of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, Chair of the Graduate Biology Program, and as a Member of the Western Pacific Coral Reef Institute Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee.