Duties/specialties:

• Development and application of DNA-based molecular diagnostics for disease organisms of shellfish
• Identification and characterization of putative haplosporidians; molecular phylogeny of the haplosporidians
• Process samples for identification of potential disease agents as Office International des Epizooties (OIE) reference laboratory for Haplosporidians and Perkinsus
• Elucidation of the life cycle of the oyster parasite Haplosporidium nelsoni (MSX)
• Investigation of possible threat of oyster herpes virus to oyster seed producers in the United States

Publications:

• Reece, K. S. and N. A. Stokes. 2003. Molecular analysis of a haplosporidian parasite from cultured New Zealand abalone Haliotis iris. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 53:61-66.

• Stokes, N. A., L. M. Ragone Calvo, K. S. Reece, and E. M. Burreson. 2002. Molecular diagnostics, field validation, and phylogenetic analysis of Quahog Parasite Unknown (QPX), a pathogen of the hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 52:233-247.

• Sunila, I., N. A. Stokes, R. Smolowitz, R. C. Karney, and E. M. Burreson.  2002.  Haplosporidium costale (Seaside Organism), a parasite of the eastern oyster, is present in Long Island Sound.  Journal of Shellfish Research, 21:113-118.   

• Stokes, N. A. and E. M. Burreson.  2001.  Differential diagnosis of mixed Haplosporidium costale and Haplosporidium nelsoni infections in the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, using DNA probes.  Journal of Shellfish Research 20:207-213. 

• Renault, T., N. A. Stokes, B. Chollet, N. Cochennec, F. Berthe, and E. M. Burreson.  2000.  Haplosporidiosis in the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, from the French Atlantic coast. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 42:207-214.   

• Yarnall, H. A., K. S. Reece, N. A. Stokes and E. M. Burreson.  2000.  A quantitative competitive polymerase chain reaction assay for the oyster pathogen Perkinsus marinus.  Journal of Parasitology 86:827-837.   

• Burreson, E. M., N. A. Stokes and C. S. Friedman.  2000.  Increased virulence in an introduced pathogen: Haplosporidium nelsoni (MSX) in the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica.  Journal of Aquatic Animal Health 12:1-8. (Invited feature article; Publication Awards Committee, American Fisheries Society, voted this paper as 2001 Best Paper Award for Journal of Aquatic Animal Health during 2000.)   

• Stokes, N. A., M. E. Siddall and E. M. Burreson.  1995.  Detection of Haplosporidium nelsoni (Haplosporidia: Haplosporidiidae) in oysters by PCR amplification.  Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 23:145-152.   

• Siddall, M. E., N. A. Stokes and E. M. Burreson.  1995.  Molecular phylogenetic evidence that the phylum Haplosporidia has an alveolate ancestry.  Molecular and Biological Evolution 12:573-581.   

• Stokes, N. A. and E. M. Burreson.  1995.  A sensitive and specific DNA probe for the oyster pathogen Haplosporidium nelsoni.  Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology 42:350-357.   

• Stokes, N. A., M. E. Siddall and E. M. Burreson.  1995.  Small subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequence of Minchinia teredinis (Haplosporidia: Haplosporidiidae) and a specific DNA probe and PCR primers for its detection.  Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 65:300-308.

Professional affiliations: National Shellfisheries Association

Supervisor: Dr. Eugene Burreson

Hobbies/interests: Music, photography