HEATHER L. NORTON

CURRICULUM VITAE

 


Arizona Research Labs
Biotechnology Division
University of Arizona
1041 East Lowell Street
Room 246 B
Tucson, AZ  85721
Telephone:  (502) 621-9791

Mobile:  (502) 203-2738

 Fax:    (502) 626-8050

email:  hnorton@email.arizona.edu


                            

EDUCATION


2005             PhD Anthropology The Pennsylvania State University

Thesis:  Human skin pigmentation variation:  A phenotypic, genotypic, and evolutionary perspective

Committee:  Ken Weiss, Kateryna Makova, Jeffrey Kurland, Mark Shriver (chair)

2002             MA Anthropology  The Pennsylvania State University

2000             BA Anthropology   The Pennsylvania State University

 

 

PUBLICATIONS


Norton HL and Friedlaender JF.  (in press)  Pigmentation and candidate gene variation in Northern Island Melanesia. In J Friedlaender (ed.): Population Genetics, Linguistics, and Culture History in the Southwest Pacific: A Synthesis.  Cambridge: Oxford University Press

 

Lamason RL, Mohideen MA, Mest JR, Wong AC, Norton HL, Aros MC, Jurynec MJ, Mao X, Humphreville VR, Humbert JE, Sinha S, Moore JL, Jagadeeswaran P, Zhao W, Ning G, Makalowska I, McKeigue PM, O'Donnell D, Kittles R, Parra EJ, Mangini NJ, Grunwald DJ, Shriver MD, Canfield VA, Cheng KC. 2005. SLC24A5, a putative cation exchanger, affects pigmentation in zebrafish and humans. Science 310:1782-1786.

Norton HL, Friedlaender JS, Merriwether DA, Koki G, Mgone CS, Shriver MD. 2005. Skin and hair pigmentation variation in Island Melanesia. American  Journal of Physical Anthropology

Makova K, Norton HL.  2005.  Worldwide polymorphism at the MC1R locus and normal pigmentation variation in humans.  Peptides 26:1901-1908.

 

Bonilla C, Boxill LA, Donald SA, Williams T, Sylvester N, Parra EJ, Dios S, Norton HL, Shriver MD, Kittles RA. 2005. The 8818G allele of the agouti signaling protein (ASIP) gene is ancestral and is associated with darker skin color in African Americans. Human Genetics 116:402-406.

Shriver MD, Parra EJ, Dios S, Bonilla C, Norton H, Jovel C, Pfaff C, Jones C, Massac A, Cameron N, Baron A, Jackson T, Argyropoulos G, Jin L, Hoggart CJ, McKeigue PM, Kittles RA. 2003. Skin pigmentation, biogeographical ancestry and admixture mapping. Human  Genetics 112:387-399.

Wagner JK, Jovel C, Norton HL, Parra EJ, Shriver MD.  2002.  Comparing quantitative measures of erythema, pigmentation, and skin response using reflectometry.  Pigment Cell Research 15:379-384.

 

POSTERS AND PRESENTATIONS


2005
 

Norton HL, Hammer MF.  Sequence variation in the human pigmentation candidate gene SLC24A5.  Poster presented at the Society of Molecular Biology and Evolution meetings, Tempe, AZ.

Norton HL, Parra EJ, Kittles R, Shriver MD.  Evolution of normal variation in human skin pigmentation.  Paper presented at the American Society of Human Genetics meetings, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Norton HL, Kittles R, Bonilla C, Akey J, Shriver MD. Using measures of locus-specific differentiation to find genes underlying traits subject to recent genetic adaptation: A test case using skin pigmentation.  Paper presented at the American Association of Physical Anthropology meetings, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

2004


Norton HL , Akey J, Shriver MD.  Detecting signals of natural selection in skin pigmentation candidate genes using locus-specific FST.  Poster presented at the American Society of Human Genetics meetings, Toronto, Canada.

Norton HL. Friedlaender J, Merriwether DA, Koki G, Mgone C, Shriver MD.  Pigmentation variation in Island Melanesia and associated candidate gene variation.  Paper presented at the American Association of Physical Anthropology meetings, Tampa, Florida.  Part of the symposium ÒA second biological garden of Eden:  Island Melanesian Genetic DiversityÓ.

2002


Norton HL., Friedlaender J, Merriwether DA, Koki G, Mgone C, Shriver MD.  Populations in Island Melanesia provide evidence for non-selection based variation in skin pigmentation.  Poster presented at the American Association of Physical Anthropology meetings in Buffalo, New York.

 

ACADEMIC FELLOWSHIPS, SCHOLARSHIPS, AND HONORS


2006             Best postdoctoral poster, Society for Molecular Biology and

                        Evolution meetings, Tempe AZ.

2005              Matson-Benson Museum Award

2003-2004 Weiss Fellow, The Pennsylvania State University

2000-2001  Weiss Fellow, The Pennsylvania State University

 

EXTERNAL GRANTS


Wenner Gren Foundation Dissertation Improvement grant (#7138, $24,828)

 

INTERNAL GRANTS


2004    Baker Fund, Department of Anthropology, Penn State

2004    Research and Graduate Studies Office (RGSO), Penn State

2003      Baker Fund, Department of Anthropology, Penn State

2003      RGSO, Penn State

2002    RGSO, Penn State

 

PAID TEACHING AND RESEARCH POSITIONS


September 2005-present

Research Associate, Arizona Research Laboratories-Biotechnology Division


1997-2005  The Pennsylvania State University

2005  Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Archaeology

Research Assistant, Molecular Anthropology Laboratory, Dr. Mark Shriver

2004 Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Archaeology

            Instructor, Biological Anthropology

Research Assistant, Molecular Anthropology Laboratory, Dr. Mark Shriver

2003

            Instructor, Biological Anthropology

            Teaching Assistant, Biological Anthropology

Research Assistant, Molecular Anthropology Laboratory, Dr. Mark Shriver

2002

            Teaching Assistant, Biological Anthropology

Research Assistant, Molecular Anthropology Laboratory, Dr. Mark Shriver

2001

            Teaching Assistant, Advanced Human Genetics

Research Assistant, Molecular Anthropology Laboratory, Dr. Mark Shriver

1999-2000

Undergraduate research assistant, Molecular Anthropology Laboratory, Dr. Mark Shriver

1997-1999

Undergraduate lab assistant, Stoneking, Weiss, and Wood laboratories, Department of Anthropology

 

FIELD WORK


2000

Papua New Guinea:  skin pigmentation measurement and DNA sample collection

1999-2000

University Park, PA:  Anthropometrics Laboratory, Dr. Mark Shriver

 

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES


2000-present          Pan American Society for Pigment Cell Research

2004-present          American Society for Human Genetics

2006-present          Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution