PhD Candidate
My PhD thesis focuses on the comparative physiology of nutrient uptake strategies in Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii), Pacific spiny dogfish (Squalus suckleyi) and Spotted ratfish (Hydrolagus colliei). My primary focus is on the Pacific hagfish, which occupies a unique trophic niche, consuming living and dead prey and surviving months without feeding. Presently, I am examining the post-prandial physiological changes that occur in hagfish and characterizing associated changes in intestinal morphology. This project requires a multidisciplinary approach examining acid/base homeostasis, metabolic oxygen consumption and overall nutritive status of the animal. Additionally, my thesis examines the mechanisms and regulation of both glucose transport via sodium-glucose linked transporters (SGLT) and fatty acid transport via fatty acid transport proteins (FATP) in each of the aforementioned organisms at an organismal, tissue and molecular level. This research allows for the integration of a variety of techniques to contribute to the overall knowledge of mechanisms behind feeding, growth and development that have yet to be elucidated in these organisms.
Awards
2016: NSERC Doctoral Post Graduate Scholarship (PGS-D3)
2015: Queen Elizabeth II Scholarship – University of Alberta
2015: Dick and Leona Peter Residential Bursary – Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre
2015: John Boom Scholarship – Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre
2015: Alberta Innovation and Advanced Education Graduate Student Scholarship – University of Alberta
2014: Queen Elizabeth II Scholarship – University of Alberta
2014: Department of Biological Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award – University of Alberta
2013: Queen Elizabeth II Scholarship – University of Alberta