Education

Ph.D. 2002  Zoology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH

M.A. 1998   Biology, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA. USA.

B.S. 1993   Biology, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA. USA

Professional Development

2006– Present    Faculty Member, Intercampus Graduate School of Marine Science and Technology, University of Massachusetts.

2005 – Present   Assistant Professor of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA.

2005 – Present   Research Associate, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

2003 – 2005       Postdoctoral Fellow, Smithsonian Marine Station at Ft. Pierce, FL, USA.

2001 – 2003       Postdoctoral Researcher, Laboratory of Dr. Lester Cannon, Queensland Museum, Australia.

Professional Activities

2007. Editorial Board, Invertebrate Biology.

2007. Associate Editor, Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.

Synopsis of grants awarded

2007. University of Massachusetts Lowell. Instrumentation Grant to purchase an Olympus FV300 CLSM and associated computer and scanning electron microscope equipment. $250,000

2007. University of Massachusetts Lowell. Professional Development Grant - Enhancing Zoology with Digital Technology and the Production of the DVD, “A Practical Laboratory Guide to Invertebrate Structure, Function and Behavior." $7945

2007. University of Massachusetts Lowell. Faculty-Student Collaborative Research Grant. $1472

2007. Environmental Protection Agency: Information Technology. L. Xu, R. Hochberg, T. Sloan, S. Kuhn, J. Clark. Creating a Sustainable Project Dashboard.

2006. Conchologists of America. The Nervous and Muscular Systems of Interstitial Solenogastres: Functional and Phylogenetic Significance. $1500

2003-2005. Postdoctoral Fellowship, Smithsonian Marine Station, Smithsonian Institution. Structure, function and evolution of helicoidal muscles in Gastrotricha. $70,000

2001-2003. Australian Biological Resources Study Co-Principal Investigator with Dr. Lester Cannon (Queensland Museum). Taxonomy of typhloplanid microturbellarians (Platyhelminthes) of eastern Australia. $75,000.

2001. National Science Foundation, Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant. Comparative morphology of American and Australian Gastrotricha: The muscular system as a source taxonomic and phylogenetic characters.

Teaching Experience

2005 - Present. University of Massachusetts Lowell: rinciples of Biology, Experimental Biology, Invertebrate Zoology, Biology and Evolution of Aquatic Arthropoda, Metazoan Parasitology, Marine Biology.

1998-2001. Teaching Assistant, Department of Zoology, University of New Hampshire. Classes: Invertebrate Zoology, Principles of Zoology, Human Anatomy & Physiology

1995-1998. Department of Biology, Humboldt State University. Teaching Associate with Dr. Gary J. Brusca, Invertebrate Zoology. Teaching Assistant: Invertebrate Zoology, General Zoology, Introductory Biology.

Presentations

Brown, R & Hochberg, R. 2008. Functional morphology of the musculo-skeletal system in sessile and planktonic species of Collothecaceae and Flosculariaceae (Rotifera). Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, San Antonio, TX.

Lilley, G & Hochberg, R. 2008. External anatomy and neuromuscular organization of the freshwater colonial rotifer Sinantherina socialis. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, San Antonio, TX.

Hochberg, R. 2007. Serotonin immunoreactivity in the head foot complex of an interstitial acochlidean reveals the conservative distrubution of 5-HT in the opisthobranch nervous system. Poster, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Phoenix, AZ.

Ablak Gurbuz, O., *Lee, B., *Ritter, S., and Hochberg, R. 2007. Functional morphology of appendage movement in planktonic rotifers. Poster, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Phoenix, AZ. * High school students of Westford Academy.

Hochberg, R. 2006. “3-D cerebral architecture and innervation in species of Asplanchna.” XI International Symposium on Rotifera, Mexico City, Mexico.

Hochberg, R. 2006. “Immunohistochemistry and 3-D cerebral architecture in species of Asplanchna (Rotifera). Contributed Talk, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Orlando, Fl.

Hochberg, R. 2006. “Immunohistochemistry and 3-D reconstruction of the cerebral ganglion in in the rotifer Asplanchna brightwelli (Rotifera). Poster, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Orlando, Fl.

Hochberg, R. 2005. “Functional morphology of jumping appendages in planktonic Rotifera: ultrastructure and neuromuscular control of spines in Filinia longiseta.” Poster, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, San Diego, CA.

Croll, RP & Hochberg, R. 2005. “Neomeniomorpha (Solenogastres) – Insights into the neuromuscular system of primtive Mollusca.” Poster, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, San Diego, CA.

Hochberg, R. 2004. “New insights on the structure and function of gastrotrich helicoidal muscles: evolutionary biomechanics of a contractile helix.” Poster, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, New Orleans, LA. Integrative and Comparative Biology 43 (6): 936 (P2.7).

Hochberg, R. 2004. “Evolutionary morphology of the head in Thaumastodermatidae (Gastrotricha). Fluid mechanics and evolutionary constraints drive historical transformation of the feeding apparatus.” Contributed talk, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, New Orleans, LA. Integrative and Comparative Biology 43 (6): 930 (38.4).

Hochberg, R. & Litvaitis, M.K. 2001. “The neuromuscular system of gastrotrichs in a phylogenetic perspective.” Poster, Eleventh International Meiofauna Conference, Boston, MA.

Hochberg R. 2001. “The function and systematic distribution of helicoidal muscles in Gastrotricha.” Contributed talk, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Chicago, IL. American Zoologist 40: 1059 (50.1)

Hochberg R. & Litviatis MK. 2001. “The neuromuscular system of Dactylopodola baltica from a phylogenetic perspective.” Poster presentation, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Chicago, IL. American Zoologist 40: 1059 (3.34)

Hochberg, R. & Litvaitis MK. 2000. “Fluorescence microscopy: A new tool in taxonomic and evolutionary studies of Gastrotricha.” Poster, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Atlanta, GA. American Zoologist 39:44A

Hochberg, R. & Litvaitis MK. 1999. “Gross morphology of the gastrotrich neural and muscular systems revealed with fluorescence microscopy.” Contributed talk, Western Society of Naturalists, Monterey, California.

Book Chapters

Hochberg, R. 2008. “Gastrotricha of the Gulf of Mexico.” In: Gulf of Mexico —Its Marine Life. Volume III.  Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies.

Hochberg, R. 2003. "Evolution and Systematics." In: Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia, 2nd edition. Volume 1: Lower Metazoans and Lesser Deuterostomes, M. Hutchins, D. A. Thoney and N. Schlager (eds). Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group, pp. 7-14.

Hochberg, R. 2003. "Gastrotricha." In: Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia, 2nd edition. Volume 1: Lower Metazoans and Lesser Deuterostomes, M. Hutchins, D.A. Thoney and N. Schlager (eds). Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group, pp. 269-73.

Hochberg, R. 2003. "What Is a Protostome?" In: Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia, 2nd edition. Volume 2: Protostomes, M. Hutchins, S.F. Craig, D.A.Thoney and N. Schlager (eds), Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group, pp. 3-6.

Refereed Scientific Publications

S. H. Zébazé Togouet, T. Njine, N. Kemka, M. Nola, S. Foto Menbohan,W. Koste, C. Boutin and R. Hochberg. 2007. Spatio-temporal changes in the abundance of the populations of the gastrotrich community in a shallow lake of tropical Africa. Limnologica 37: 311-322.

Hochberg, R. & Ablak Gurbuz, O. Comparative morphology of the somatic musculature in species of Hexarthra and Polyarthra (Rotifera, Monogononta): Its function in appendage movement and escape behavior. Zoologischer Anzeiger. In Press.

Hochberg, R. Comparative immunohistochemistry of the gastrotrich cerebral ganglion: An analysis of FMRFamide-like immunoreactivity in Neodasys cirritus (Chaetonotida), Xenodasys riedli and Turbanella sp. (Macrodasyida). Zoomorphology. In Press.

Hochberg, R. The topology of the nervous system of Notommata copeus (Rotifera: Mononogonta) revealed with anti-FMRFamide, -SCPb, and -Serotonin Immunohistochemistry Invertebrate Biology 126(3):146-157.

Hochberg, R. & Ablak Gurbuz, O. 2007. Functional morphology of somatic muscles and anterolateral setae in Filinia novazealandiae Shiel and Sanoamuang, 1993 (Rotifera). Zoologiscer Anzeiger 246: 11-22.

Hochberg, R. Serotonin-like immunoreactivity in the central and peripheral nervous systems of the interstitial acochlidean Asperspina sp (Opisthobranchia). Biological Bulletin 213: 33-54. See the Cover.

Hochberg, R.  2006. On the serotonergic nervous system of two planktonic rotifers, Conochilus coenobasis and C. dossuarius (Monogononta, Flosculariacea, Conochilidae). Zoologischer Anzeiger 245: 53-62.

Hochberg, R. 2005. First record of Polymerurus (Gastrotricha, Chaetonotida) from Australia with the description of a new species from Queensland and an ultrastructural description of the cuticle in specimens of P. nodicadus. Invertebrate Biology 124:119-130.

Hochberg, R. 2005. Musculature of the primitive gastrotrich Neodasys (Chaetonotida): functional adaptations to the interstitial environment and phylogenetic significance. Marine Biology 146: 315-323.

Hochberg, R. 2004. A new genus and subfamily of Typhloplanidae (Platyhelminthes, Rhabdocoela) from Australia with a cladistic analysis of subfamily relationships. Journal of Natural History 38: 925-937.

Hochberg, R. 2004. Reproductive anatomy of Prognathorhynchus busheki (Platyhelminthes, Kalyptorhynchia) revealed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Meiofauna Marina 13: 29-36.

Hochberg, R. 2004. Smithsoniarhynches, a new genus of marine interstitial schizorhynch (Platyhelminthes, Kalyptorhynchia) from Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River Lagoon, Florida, USA. JMBA 85: 1-6.

Hochberg, R. 2003. Two new species of Dactylopodola (Gastrotricha, Macrodasyida) from the islands of eastern Australia. Meiofauna Marina 12: 37-46.

Hochberg, R. & Cannon, L.R.G. 2003. Magnetia queenslandica, a new genus and new species of typhloplanid flatworm (Platyhelminthes, Rhabdocoela) from Magnetic Island in north Queensland, Australia. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 51: 1-6.

Hochberg, R. & Litavitis, M.K. 2003. Organization of muscles in Chaetonotida Paucitubulatina (Gastrotricha). Meiofauna Marina 12: 47-58.

Hochberg, R. & Litvaitis, M. K. 2003. Ultrastructural and immunohistochemical observations on the nervous system of three macrodasyidan gastrotrichs. Acta Zoologica 84: 171-178.

Hochberg, R. 2002. A special form of sensory cilia in Lepidodermella squamata (Gastrotricha,Chaetonotida). Ophelia 55: 137-139.

Hochberg, R. 2002. Two new species of Pseudostomella (Gastrotricha) with scaled triancres from Australia. New Zealand Journal of Marine & Freshwater Research 36(3): 571-579.

Hochberg, R. 2002. Two new species of Turbanellidae (Gastrotricha, Macrodasyida) from Eastern Australia. New Zealand J. of Marine & Freshwater Research 36(2): 311-319.

Hochberg, R. & Cannon, L.R.G. 2002. Two new freshwater rhabdocoels, Austradalyellia and Haplodidymos n. gen. (Platyhelminthes) from Queensland, Australia. Zootaxa 44:1-15.

Hochberg, R. & Cannon, L.R. 2001. A new species of Gieysztoria (Platyhelminthes; Rhabdocoela; Dalyelliidae) from a freshwater lake in Queensland, Australia. Zootaxa 11:1-8.

Hochberg, R. & Litvaitis, M.K. 2001. A muscular double-helix in Gastrotricha. Zoologischer Anzeiger 240: 59-66.

Hochberg, R. & Litvaitis, M.K. 2001. Functional morphology of muscles in Tetranchyroderma papii (Gastrotricha). Zoomorphology 121: 37-43.

Hochberg, R. & Litvaitis, M.K. 2001. Macrodasyida (Gastrotricha): A cladistic analysis of morphology. Invertebrate Biology 120: 124-135.

Hochberg, R. & Litvaitis, M.K. 2001. The musculature of Dactylopodola baltica and other macrodasyidan gastrotrichs in a functional and phylogenetic perspective. Zoologica Scripta 30: 325-336.

Hochberg, R. & Litvaitis, M.K. 2001. The musculature of Draculicteria tessalata: Implications for the evolution of dorso-ventral muscles in Gastrotricha. Hydrobiologia 452: 155-161.

Hochberg, R. & Litvaitis, M.K. 2000. Functional morphology of the muscles in Philodina sp. (Rotifera: Bdelloidea). Hydrobiologia 432: 57-64.

Hochberg, R. & Litvaitis, M.K. 2000. Hexamethyldisilazane for scanning electron microscopy of Gastrotricha. Biotechnic and Histochemistry 75: 41-44.

Hochberg, R.  & Litvaitis, M.K. 2000. Phylogeny of Gastrotricha: A morphology-based framework of gastrotrich relationships. Biological Bulletin 198: 299-305 (characters, Excel matrix)

Hochberg, R. 1999. Spatiotemporal size-class distribution of Turbanella mustela (Gastrotricha: Macrodasyida) on a northern California beach and its effect on tidal suspension. Pacific Science 216: 50-60.

Hochberg, R.  1998. Post-embryonic growth and morphological variability in Turbanella mustela (Gastrotricha: Macrodasyida). Journal of Morphology 237: 116-127.

Last Update: January 13, 2008