Research

I study hypometabolic states (hibernation and its short-term counterpart, daily torpor) in small birds (hummingbirds) and mammals. The kinds of questions I am interested in answering are:

-How much energy do animals save by entering torpor?
-Under what circumstances does torpor occur?
-What are the ecological functions of torpor, and how do they change with the seasonal physiological state of the animal?
-What hormones are involved in regulating torpor, and how do seasonal changes in torpor relate to seasonal changes in the production of reproductive and stress hormones?

Some of my other interests are circadian and circannual rhythms.

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