Mayté Ruiz

Midwest Crossroads AGEP
Indiana University, Bloomington

Mayté Ruiz is a third-year graduate student at Indiana University-Bloomington. She is majoring in biology under the advisement of Dr. Emília P. Martins. Mayté received a Bachelor of Science in biology at Florida International University. She is working in the program for Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior (EEB) as well as the Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior (CISAB). Additionally, she is a trainee of the NIH-funded Common Themes in Reproductive Diversity (CTRD) group at Indiana University.

Currently, she is researching trade-offs within and among courtship and immune function in sagebrush lizards, Sceloporus graciosus. From previous research she has found that individual male identity and female reproductive state are important predictors of variation in male display rate. However, males do not alter their display rate with respect to female quality.

In her upcoming research, she will consider the effects of hormones, namely testosterone and corticosterone, on the immune system of S. graciosus. Previous studies have determined that these hormones play a major immunosuppressive role; however, inconsistencies arise due to the utilization of a number of immune measures and due to the possibility of an interactive effect of hormones within an individual. She proposes to address these inconsistencies by determining the effect of testosterone and of corticosterone on multiple immune responses simultaneously.

She will also test the interactive effect that testosterone and corticosterone have on the immune system. Additionally, she will determine whether corticosterone produces similar immune responses in males and females since males and females have different hormonal physiology and thus interactions with corticosterone may lead to diverse effects between the sexes. Finally, she hopes to connect immunity and reproduction by analyzing how trade-offs between these processes are mediated.

Mayté volunteers her time as a “Big Sister” with Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Indiana. She encourages and challenges her “Little Sister,” providing her with a friendship, support, and an example to which she can aspire.

Academic Disciplines:
Biology