My research program focuses on the effects of anthropogenic stressors on avian wildlife and other predators to monitor broad-scale environmental change. My lab conducts field research in temperate and Arctic ecosystems to examine the impacts of climate change on avian fitness via (1) the indirect effects of environmental variation on (1) prey type, quality, and quantity; and (2) energetics and behaviour; (3) the direct effects of warming temperatures on physiological traits associated with heat stress; and (4) the cumulative effects of multiple stressors including contaminants.

My research program focuses on the effects of anthropogenic stressors on avian wildlife and other predators to monitor broad-scale environmental change. My lab conducts field research in temperate and Arctic ecosystems to examine the impacts of climate change on avian fitness via (1) the indirect effects of environmental variation on (1) prey type, quality, and quantity; and (2) energetics and behaviour; (3) the direct effects of warming temperatures on physiological traits associated with heat stress; and (4) the cumulative effects of multiple stressors including contaminants.

The Little Lab explores physiological mechanisms to understand the eco-evolutionary costs of change. Many animals can remodel their physiology within their lifetimes to compensate for changing environments. This plasticity represents the best defense animals have against climate change, but potential costs and trade-offs have been difficult to identify. The Little Lab uses an integrative approach to uncover proximate mechanisms for plasticity, allowing us to make and test predictions about its contextual costs.

The Little Lab explores physiological mechanisms to understand the eco-evolutionary costs of change. Many animals can remodel their physiology within their lifetimes to compensate for changing environments. This plasticity represents the best defense animals have against climate change, but potential costs and trade-offs have been difficult to identify. The Little Lab uses an integrative approach to uncover proximate mechanisms for plasticity, allowing us to make and test predictions about its contextual costs.

My research focuses on the ontogeny, phenotypic plasticity and evolution of muscle metabolism – important for locomotion, thermogenesis, and whole-body metabolic homeostasis. I use mechanistic and evolutionary physiology approaches, and take advantage of “experiments in nature” by studying species that thrive in extreme environments such as high altitude. I do applied research on the impacts of changing temperature, low oxygen, and pollution on the physiology of fishes.

My research focuses on the ontogeny, phenotypic plasticity and evolution of muscle metabolism – important for locomotion, thermogenesis, and whole-body metabolic homeostasis. I use mechanistic and evolutionary physiology approaches, and take advantage of “experiments in nature” by studying species that thrive in extreme environments such as high altitude. I do applied research on the impacts of changing temperature, low oxygen, and pollution on the physiology of fishes.

Membrane Physiology of Ion transport and Excretion The primary goal of my research program is to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms of excretion and ion transport, particularly by insect epithelia. We study how such processes are controlled by hormones and intracellular second messengers, and how mechanisms for excretion and ion transport are altered in response to changing environmental conditions. Blood feeding insects such as mosquitoes are of enormous importance as vectors of diseases such as malaria, and our studies of physiological mechanisms of ionoregulation and excretion provide insights that we hope will aid development of novel, environmentally-benign insecticides for pest species. Recently we have become fascinated by the ability of insects to rid themselves of toxins. Co-evolution of insects with flowering plants means that many insects are extraordinarily effective at detoxifying synthetic or natural pesticides, and the excretory system plays an important role in elimination of toxins or their metabolites. My research makes extensive use of electrophysiological methods, including intracellular recording, ion-selective microelectrodes and patch clamping. My students and I develop or adapt specialized micro-techniques for measuring pH or ion concentrations inside or adjacent to epithelial cells, or in nanoliter samples of biological fluids. We have recently developed a method of measuring transport of fluorescent substrates of ion transporters by means of confocal laser scanning microscopy of nanoliter droplets of secreted fluids, and we have used this technique to assess the roles of transporters related to p-glycoproteins and multidrug resistant proteins (MRP) in insect Malpighian (renal) tubules. We are also one of the few labs in Canada to make use of the Automated Scanning Electrode Technique (ASET). Transport of ions into or out of cells perturbs the concentration of ions in the unstirred layer (USL) near the surface of the cell. ASET uses computer-controlled stepper motors to position ion-selective microelectrodes near cells and measure tiny changes ( <0.04% ) in ion concentration between two positions within the USL. The difference in ion concentration is then used to calculate the rate of ion transport using the Fick equation.

Membrane Physiology of Ion transport and Excretion The primary goal of my research program is to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms of excretion and ion transport, particularly by insect epithelia. We study how such processes are controlled by hormones and intracellular second messengers, and how mechanisms for excretion and ion transport are altered in response to changing environmental conditions. Blood feeding insects such as mosquitoes are of enormous importance as vectors of diseases such as malaria, and our studies of physiological mechanisms of ionoregulation and excretion provide insights that we hope will aid development of novel, environmentally-benign insecticides for pest species. Recently we have become fascinated by the ability of insects to rid themselves of toxins. Co-evolution of insects with flowering plants means that many insects are extraordinarily effective at detoxifying synthetic or natural pesticides, and the excretory system plays an important role in elimination of toxins or their metabolites. My research makes extensive use of electrophysiological methods, including intracellular recording, ion-selective microelectrodes and patch clamping. My students and I develop or adapt specialized micro-techniques for measuring pH or ion concentrations inside or adjacent to epithelial cells, or in nanoliter samples of biological fluids. We have recently developed a method of measuring transport of fluorescent substrates of ion transporters by means of confocal laser scanning microscopy of nanoliter droplets of secreted fluids, and we have used this technique to assess the roles of transporters related to p-glycoproteins and multidrug resistant proteins (MRP) in insect Malpighian (renal) tubules. We are also one of the few labs in Canada to make use of the Automated Scanning Electrode Technique (ASET). Transport of ions into or out of cells perturbs the concentration of ions in the unstirred layer (USL) near the surface of the cell. ASET uses computer-controlled stepper motors to position ion-selective microelectrodes near cells and measure tiny changes ( <0.04% ) in ion concentration between two positions within the USL. The difference in ion concentration is then used to calculate the rate of ion transport using the Fick equation.

My lab strives to understand the integrative mechanisms (from molecule to organism) for how vertebrate animals tolerate and perform in challenging physical environments. We are interested in the physiological, cellular, and genomic bases of adaptation and acclimatization, particularly in response to hypoxia and/or temperature change. Physiological systems important for respiration and exercise are emphasized.

My lab strives to understand the integrative mechanisms (from molecule to organism) for how vertebrate animals tolerate and perform in challenging physical environments. We are interested in the physiological, cellular, and genomic bases of adaptation and acclimatization, particularly in response to hypoxia and/or temperature change. Physiological systems important for respiration and exercise are emphasized.

The Wilson laboratory studies the impacts of environmental stressors on aquatic organisms, with a strong emphasis on aquatic toxicology research. Our research intersects environmental physiology, ecology and evolution, and bioinformatics and functional genomics. Our basic research program focuses on the evolution, regulation and function of cytochrome P450 enzymes; enzymes that are critical for xenobiotic metabolism and steroid production. Cytochrome P450 enzymes are an important superfamily involved in chemical defense. Our environmental physiology research examines the impacts of contaminants (e.g. human drugs, metals, complex effluents), temperature, and low dose radiation. We are particularly interested in the effects on development, growth, and reproduction. The biological approaches used in the lab are quite diverse and include gene expression, histology, protein assays (e.g. enzyme activity, steroid levels), morphometrics, growth, and behaviour. Likewise, our species of interest are diverse. Our primary fish model species are zebrafish and rainbow trout but we include important native species such as lake whitefish, round whitefish, and Arctic charr. For invertebrate systems, we use the brown and green hydra, both freshwater Cnidarian species, and a marine annelid Capitella telata.

The Wilson laboratory studies the impacts of environmental stressors on aquatic organisms, with a strong emphasis on aquatic toxicology research. Our research intersects environmental physiology, ecology and evolution, and bioinformatics and functional genomics. Our basic research program focuses on the evolution, regulation and function of cytochrome P450 enzymes; enzymes that are critical for xenobiotic metabolism and steroid production. Cytochrome P450 enzymes are an important superfamily involved in chemical defense. Our environmental physiology research examines the impacts of contaminants (e.g. human drugs, metals, complex effluents), temperature, and low dose radiation. We are particularly interested in the effects on development, growth, and reproduction. The biological approaches used in the lab are quite diverse and include gene expression, histology, protein assays (e.g. enzyme activity, steroid levels), morphometrics, growth, and behaviour. Likewise, our species of interest are diverse. Our primary fish model species are zebrafish and rainbow trout but we include important native species such as lake whitefish, round whitefish, and Arctic charr. For invertebrate systems, we use the brown and green hydra, both freshwater Cnidarian species, and a marine annelid Capitella telata.