Biology

James Murphy, Ph.D.

Dr. James Murphy graduated from Manhattan College with a BS in Biology (Teacher Preparation). He earned an MS and Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the Sackler Institute of the New York University School of Medicine, graduating in 1994. Dr. Murphy joined Bloomfield College the same year.

In the past, Dr. Murphy has studied both the molecular biology of cancer and the molecular biology of parasitism in insects. These days he focuses on the chemical modification of proteins in peas. Specifically, Dr. Murphy is interested in the effects of deacetylase inhibitors on pea root meristems. This research has resulted in publications, numerous student poster presentations as well as a recent GenBank sequence report for the Vitamin B12 Independent Methionine Synthase mRNA, accession number “KJ890480” that can be found at the website for the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Bloomfield College students have been coauthors on all these reports. This sequence will allow Dr. Murphy’s group to infer the amino acid sequence of the Methionine Synthase and investigate chemical modification of its amino acids, such as acetylation.

Dr. Murphy usually teaches the General Biology courses, “Diversity” and “Cell.” As well as the upper level Biochemistry II and Bio seminar.

Leila Koepp, Ph.D.

Dr. Leila Koepp is currently the Biology Coordinator in the Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and is a full professor at Bloomfield College. She has been part of the college since 1982. She has previously taught at several institutions including Montclair State University, Farleigh Dickenson University, and Upsala College. She held positions as a bacteriologist at several hospitals including Flow Memorial Hospital in Denton, Texas and Overlook Hospital in Summit New Jersey.

Dr. Koepp has a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology from Rutgers University, formerly University of Medicine and Dentistry (UMDNJ), Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (1982). Dissertation title: The Molecular Basis for the Biological Activity of the Slime Glycolipoprotein of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain BI, a M.S. in Microbiology from North Texas State University, Denton, Texas (1970), a B.A. in Biology from Messiah College, Grantham, Pennsylvania. (1968).

At Bloomfield College, she taught many courses including General Biology, Clinical Physiology, Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology, Genetics, Developmental Biology and has developed an Immunology course which has been added to the curriculum and which she has taught in the past and continues to teach as needed. Presently she mostly teaches multiple sections of Microbiology to biology majors and nursing students. She also has transformed the genetics curriculum to reflect multicultural/multiracial issues and introduced a course for non-majors that deals with Biotechnology and Human Affairs.

Most of her research during her graduate studies focused on the investigation of the molecular basis for the pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa which has resulted in multiple publications in scientific journals.

She has investigated and cloned the SPO7 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with Dr. David Kabak at UMDNJ and has presented the results at several scientific meetings.

She has been involved with student research which focuses on bacterial leaf scorch (BLS) of oak trees in Northern NJ. The disease is caused by Xylella fastidiosa bacterium which infects the xylem of the leaves leading to leaf scorching and eventually death of the trees. Samples of oak leaves were collected and PCR analysis was conducted on these samples. The leaves were also analyzed by SEM with positive results for the bacterium.

In 2014 she published a book “Topics in Grief” which could be found on Amazon in honor of her late son David Koepp. She also has a blog TopicsInGrief.com

Rebecca Walter, Ph.D.

Dr. Walter has been with Bloomfield College since 2012. The courses she teaches include: Anatomy and Physiology 1&2, Biomechanics, and Vertebrate Morphology.

Dr. Walter has a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Utah. Her graduate thesis was entitled “The Biomechanics of Galloping and Acceleration in Dogs.” She currently uses Bloomfield College’s Motion Capture System in her research on the biomechanics of human walking and running.