Life Lines by Dr. Dolittle

Tag Archive for ‘APS’

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Defining Physiology

Kudos to Mael Lemoine and Thomas Pradeu who recently published a paper in Physiology that attempted to define physiology’s place in modern science. Historically, physiology has held importance as a fundamental discipline on which other disciplines such as medicine and biological sciences were built. As such, the field of physiology has given birth to several modern disciplines including immunology, endocrinology, neuroscience and of course, the wave of “omics” research. Lemoine and […]

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Comparative Physiologist: Berry Pinshow, PhD

I came across a really interesting interview of Dr. Barry Pinshow, a comparative physiologist and member of the American Physiological Society. In this Living History of Physiology video, Dr. Pinshow talks about growing up in South Africa and his decision to move to Israel as a teen. He also discusses how he became interested in science, his research in desert biology and the influential people in his career. Very inspiring!

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Caffeine redemption

Sometimes caffeine gets bad rap. But, not all caffeine drinks are created equal and certainly there are health issues related to over-consumption. But, as an avid coffee drinker, I’d like to think there are some benefits to my favorite morning treat. A recent article published in American Journal of Physiology – Endocrinology and Metabolism highlighted some of the health benefits of caffeine. Thank you AJP! Obesity is a complicated condition that can […]

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Sleep vs torpor

  I read an interesting review article published in Physiology comparing the low metabolic states of non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM) and torpor. According to the article, all mammals experience NREM sleep patterns during which energy expenditure is decreased and body as well as brain temperatures decline. Animals that experience torpor (hummingbirds, arctic ground squirrels, some mice, bears, etc) have reduced metabolic rates and body temperatures that dip below baseline. NREM […]

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Pediatric obesity in marmoset monkeys begins in the womb

A new review article published in the American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology explored an interesting question: how do prenatal experiences along with the intrauterine environment impact the future development of pediatric and adult obesity in animals? Common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) are New World monkeys that can spontaneously develop obesity early in life when living in captivity with high food availability and relatively low physical activity. Similar to […]

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2018 Winners

I am pleased to showcase this year’s Comparative and Evolutionary Physiology Section (CEPS)  award recipients at the Experimental Biology conference. Winners received their awards at the CEPS banquet last week. In earlier posts, I introduced this year’s Dr. Dolittle Travel awardee as well as Dr. Stanley Hillman, this year’s August Krogh Distinguished Lecturer. Here are the rest of award recipients: The New Investigator Award was earned by Dr. Allyson Hindle […]

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Seals have anti-inflammatory blood

Dr. Allyson Hindle from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, presented some interesting research on seals at the Experimental Biology conference this week in San Diego. Seals are known for being rather plump, which for humans often leads to inflammation and cardiovascular disease. In addition, seals undergo repeated bouts of hypoxia and reoxygenation during their dives, which is also known to promote inflammation and cardiovascular disease in humans. Her research team […]

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Brine shrimp tolerance of environmental changes

Brine shrimp, Artemia franciscana, are neat little aquatic crustaceans. According to the University of Utah, these tiny creatures grow to about 1cm in length. They are a favorite meal choice of some migratory birds and they are often sold for use as food for fish destined for human consumption. Christopher Melendez, a graduate student in the lab of Dr. Casey Mueller at California State University San Marcos, presented his research on brine […]

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2018 August Krogh Lecturer, Dr. Stanley Hillman

Dr. Stanley Hillman was the recipient of this year’s August Krogh Distinguished Lectureship of the American Physiological Society’s Comparative and Evolutionary Physiology section. This award was named after Dr. August Krogh, born 1874 in Denmark. His dissertation focused on studying gas exchange in frogs. In 1908 he became an Associate Professor and later chair of the Department of Zoophysiology at the University of Copenhagen. He was awarded a Nobel Prize […]

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What lurks in the water…

Dr. Craig Franklin from the University of Queensland spoke yesterday about his research with crocodiles. After evaluating hundreds of recordings from telemetry instrumentation and satellite tags of the animals, the data showed that crocodiles regulate their body temperature much like fish. This means that crocodile body temperature is often dictated by their surrounding water temperature. Dr. Iskander Ismailov, a Research Assistant Professor from lab of Dr. Michael Friedlander at Virginia […]

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