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Brian Barnes

Credit: 
Todd Paris/UAF
Research Interests: 

Physiological ecology and endocrinology of hibernating mammals; biological rhythms and sleep; overwintering biology of animals including insects. We work in field and laboratory settings investigating behavioral and physiological mechanisms by which animals cope with high-latitude winter and summer environments.

Brian M. Barnes
Director, Institute of Arctic Biology
Professor of Zoophysiology
bmbarnes@alaska.edu
Office: 
311 Irving 1 Bldg.
907-474-7649
Lab: 
270 Arctic Health Research Bldg.
907-474-6067
Postal Address: 
Institute of Arctic Biology
PO Box 757000
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, AK 99775-7000
  • University of California, Riverside. B.S. in Biology, 1977
  • Stanford University, Hopkins Marine Station. Workshop on Biological Rhythms, 1977
  • University of Washington. Ph.D. in Zoology, 1983. G.J. Kenagy, advisor
  • University of California, Berkeley. Post-doctoral fellow, Departments of Zoology and Psychology, 1983-1986. P. Licht and I. Zucker, advisors
  • University of Alaska Fairbanks, Institute of Arctic Biology and Department of Biology and Wildlife. Assistant Professor of Zoophysiology, 1986-1991, Associate Professor, 1991-1999, Professor 2000. Interim Director, IAB 2001.
  • Secretary, Section in Comparative Endocrinology, American Society of Zoologists. 1994-1995
  • N.S.F. Panel for Dissertation Improvement Grants, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 1995
  • University of Tromsø, Norway. Department of Arctic Biology. Visiting Scholar, 1995
  • University of Groningen, The Netherlands, Chronobiology Research Group. Visiting Scholar, 1996
  • N.S.F. Workshop developing a mission statement for the Toolik Field Station
  • Chair, Toolik Field Station Steering Committee
  • Chair, Laurence Irving and Per Scholander Memorial Lecture Committee

2011

Walters, K.R. et al., 2011. A thermal hysteresis-producing xylomannan glycolipid antifreeze associated with cold tolerance is found in diverse taxa. Journal of Comparative Physiology B, 181, pp.631–640.

2010

Shao, C. et al., 2010. Shotgun Proteomics Analysis of Hibernating Arctic Ground Squirrels*. Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, 9.2, pp.313-326.
Sheriff, M.J. et al., 2010. Phenological variation in annual timing of hibernation and breeding in nearby populations of Arctic ground squirrels. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 278(1716), pp.2369-75. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2010.2482.

Pages

  • University of Washington, Department of Zoology.
    • N.I.H. Cell and Molecular Biology Trainee, 1982-1983.
  • University of California, Berkeley.
    • N.I.H. Individual National Research Service Award Post-doctoral Fellowship, 1985-1986.
  • University of Alaska Fairbanks
    • UAF Faculty Research Grants Program: "Periodic arousals and reproductive development in hibernating mammals," 1987; "DNA fingerprinting in arctic ground squirrels," 1989; "Sleep regulation in heterothermic mammals," 1993.
    • NIH RO1 HD23383 (PI) "Endocrine responsiveness in heterothermic mammals," 1987-1996.
    • NIH K04 HD000973 (PI) “Research Career Development Award”, 1992-1997.
    • Durfee Foundation and Earthwatch (PI) “Student Field Expedition Awards”, 1990-1992.
    • NIH and NSF conference grants for symposium "Endocrinology of arctic birds and mammals," (co PI with P. Deviche) 1994.
    • NSF shared equipment grant (co-PI with D. Roby and others) 1994.
    • American Heart Institutional Award for Graduate Research (co-PI with B. Boyer) 1995‑1999.
    • NSF (PI) “An arctic residence facility for the Toolik Field Station, Alaska,” 1997-1999.
    • American Heart Association Standard Grant Award 98-AK-303 (co-PI with B. Boyer) “Multi-tissue regulation of energy expenditure by uncoupling proteins,” 1998-2001.
    • MJ Murdock Charitable Trust (PI) “Renovation of environmental chambers for support of arctic research,” 2000-2002.
    • NSF 9819540 (PI) “Energetics, homeostasis, and life history in an arctic hibernator,” 1999-2002.
    • NSF (PI) “Physiological limits to hibernation in large mammals,” 1999-2000.
    • NSF (PI) “A cooperative proposal for the Toolik Field Station, Alaska,” 2000-2005; renewed 2005-2010.
    • NSF EPSCoR (Research Focus Leader) “Integrative Approaches to Environmental Physiology,” 2000-2003.
    • NSF (PI, collaborative research with J. Duman) “Studies on antifreeze proteins in arctic and subarctic insects,” 2001-2006, 2006-2008.
    • US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (PI) “Hibernation genomics” 2005-2010.
    • NSF (co-PI) “International Polar Year -- Arctic Observatory Network” 2007-2010.
    • NSF (co-PI with D. O’Brien) “IPY: Extremes of hibernation physiology: patterns of expression, regulation, and limits” 2007-2010.
  • Sigma Xi
  • AAAS
  • American Society of Mammalogists
  • American Society of Physiology
  • Society for the Study of Reproduction
  • Society for Research on Biological Rhythms
  • Society for Neuroscience
  • Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology

Search for Brian's projects on the IAB website »

  • Reproductive Biology of Vertebrates
  • Biological Rhythms
  • Physiological Ecology of Over-Wintering
  • Graduate Seminar in Physiology and Neurobiology
Current Graduate Students (More info)
  • Don Larson
  • Sara Wilbur
Past Graduate Students
  • Sylvia Feder, M.S. 1990
  • Mark Reed, M.S., 1993
  • Olav Ormseth, M.S. 1997 (co-advised with B. Boyer)
  • C. Loren Buck, Ph.D. 1998
  • Kelly Hochstetler, Ph.D. (withdrew)
  • William Toxvard, M.S. 2001
  • Shawna Karpovitch M.S. 2002
  • Jamie Barger, Ph.D. 2002 (co-advised with B. Boyer)
  • Petter Kvadsheim, Ph.D., post-doc, 2001
  • Todd Sformo, Ph.D., 2009
Past Post-Doctoral Fellows
  • Øivind Tøien, Ph.D., post-doc then Research Associate, 1997-current
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