Dr. Courtney Standlee
Biography
Dr. Standees' area of interest is in Public Health Microbiology. She uses her understanding of the Public Health, microbiology, and virology to impact the dissemination of pathogens. Dr. Standlee is a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in Environmental Health for Mega-Sheltering Operations. Because of her professional experience during Hurricane Katrina, she has presented at conferences and meetings around the United States. She maintains an active State of Texas Registered Sanitarian (RS) license with the State of Texas Health and Human Services Department. Dr. Standlee transitioned from the Health Department and enjoys being in the classroom, working to educate the next generation in both the macroscopic and microscopic aspects of Natural Science. Her former role in Environmental health was to intervene, limiting the scope of transmissible diseases. While at UHD Dr. Standlee is working to establish a research laboratory that focuses on ectoparasites of public health significance that impact humans and animals. She has a current collaboration that will support an ecological surveillance study of endemic parasites in our community. In the future, her lab will focus on an evaluation of the mosquitoes' life cycle as it is impacted by interventions or resistance.
Degrees Earned
B.S. Microbiology, University of Houston-Downtown
M.P.H. Master in Public Health, University of Texas School of Public Health
Ph.D., Biomedical Science, Tulane School of Medicine
Courses Taught
BIOL 4232: Cell Biology Laboratory
BIOL/MBIO 4313: Parasitology
BIOL/MBIO 4113: Parasitology Laboratory
BIOL/MBIO 3320: Virology
BIOL 3305: Human Physiology
BIOL 1304: Human Anatomy & Physiology II
BIOL 1104: Human Anatomy & Physiology I Laboratory
BIOL 1303: Human Anatomy & Physiology I
BIOL 1103: Human Anatomy & Physiology I Laboratory
UHD 1303: Freshman Seminar-Science: Special Topic Strangers Among Us: the Microbiota
Microbiology (at another Institution)
General Biology Majors (at another Institution)
General Biology Non-Majors (at another Institution)
BIOL 4311 Biology Seminar: Special Topic Vectors and Disease Agents
Experience Qualifications
Teaching Experience:
- Assistant Professor, UHD 2021-present
- Lead Tenure Track Faculty A&P, UHD 2018-present
- Adjunct Faculty, Lone Star College 2016-2018
- Doctoral Candidate & Teaching, Tulane University 2016-2011
Professional Experience:
- State of Texas Registered Sanitarian (R.S.)
- Arboviral vector laboratory at Tulane School of Tropical Medicine
- Insectarium at Tulane School of Tropical Medicine
- Field Researcher at Tulane University
- Virology lab at Tulane University
- Cell Biology lab at Tulane University
- Environmental Researcher at Univ. of Texas School of Public Health
More Information
Peer-Reviewed Publications:
3. Mills, Kylie, Gomes, AngelicaM., Standlee, Courtney R., Rojo, Michelle D., Carmeliet, Peter, Lin, Shen, Machado, Heather L. Gas6 is Dispensable for Pubertal Mammary Gland Development. PLoS ONE 12/2018:13(12):e0208550
2. Standlee, Courtney Rose Bock, Vigilant, Maximea E., Cech, Irina, Douglas, Tommy C. An Evaluation of a Lake Houston Tributary, Cypress Creek, for Contamination and Water Quality." Texas Public Health Association Journal 2010. Volume 62 Issue 4 Page: 23-29
1. Vigilant, Maximea E., Cech, Irina, Standlee, Courtney Rose Bock, Douglas, Tommy C. Concentrations of Inorganic Chemicals in Cypress Creek, A Major Tributary of Lake Houston. Texas Public Health Association Journal 2010. Volume 62 Issue 4 Page: 30-36
Awards:
2020 Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE) Online Course Development Initiative (OCDI) Funded Awardee
2022 Team Research Incubator Pilot (TRIP) Program, UHD Office of Research and Supported Programs
2022 Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE) Course Innovation Initiative (CII) Innovative Transition to Digital Human A&P eLearning with Incorporation of Novel Laboratory
2022 Texas Talent Connection Grant (III) Employment through Workforce Innovation: UHD Cultivating Cyber Security Supporting Skilled Workforce
Patent:
- Standlee, Courtney, Apparatus for Computer Peripheral Storage, 14/701,896, filed May 01, 2015. United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
More Information
Away from UHD, Dr. Standlee is a wife and mother. She continues to be a public servant, volunteering in service to her local community. She enjoys many extracurricular activities, including; golf, cooking, sewing, crafts, swimming, singing, or whistling off-key
Research
Dr. Standlee is interested in ectoparasites of public health significance that affect animals. She has a current collaboration that will support an ecological surveillance study of endemic parasites in our community.
In the future, her lab will focus on evaluating the mosquitoes' life cycle as it is affected by interventions or resistance. In the life cycle of mosquitoes, the female takes a blood meal to generate eggs, changing her parity status and anatomical features. Changes occur in the ovaries that we hope to characterize and more easily access via microscopy and/or histological techniques. Having tools to understand female mosquitoes' parity can aid public health professionals in evaluating the effectiveness of interventions during epidemics. The presence of nulliparous mosquitoes would indicate effective treatment(s), while parous mosquitoes could indicate insufficient treatment and an increase in the risk of disease transmission. Having such novel diagnostics and understanding the anatomical changes would help protect our community while reacting to local transmission of emerging or reemerging pathogens.
Potential research projects will analyze organismal changes during the life cycle of vectors and link that to intervention(s) affecting populations capable of disease transmission. The lab is interested in the effect on vector anatomy and physiology following interventions targeting endemic parasites in our community, such as; sterile insect techniques (SIT), adulticides, larvicides, or repellents. The potential for vectors to acquire resistance to these control modalities and the effect on organismal fitness is of public health significance and interest to Dr. Standlee.