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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
Professor of Zoophysiology
INBRE Director/PI
Toolik Co-PI
bmbarnes@alaska.edu
Office: 
311 Irving 1 Bldg.
907-474-7649
Lab: 
270 Arctic Health Research Bldg.
907-474-6067
Postal Address: 
P.O. Box 757000
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-current; Interim Director, IAB 2001; IAB Director, 2002-2021; Alaska INBRE Director, 2014-current; Toolik Field Station Co Science Director, 1998-current
  • 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

2002

Hut, R.A., Barnes, B.M. & Daan, S., 2002. Body temperature patterns before, during, and after semi-natural hibernation in the European ground squirrel. Journal of Comparative Physiology B, 172(1), pp.47-58.

2000

Barnes, B.M. & Buck, C.L., 2000. Hibernation in the extreme: burrow and body temperatures, metabolism, and limits to torpor bout length in arctic ground squirrels. In M. Klingenspor & Heldmaier, G. Life in the Cold: Eleventh International Hibernation Symposium. Life in the Cold: Eleventh International Hibernation Symposium. Berlin: Springer-Verlag, pp. 65-72.
Buck, L.C. & Barnes, B.M., 2000. Effects of ambient temperature on metabolic rate, respiratory quotient, and torpor in an arctic hibernator. American Journal of Physiology, 279, pp.R255-R262.
Knight, J.E. et al., 2000. mRNA stability and polysome loss in hibernating arctic ground squirrels (Spermophilus parryii). Molecular and Cellular Biology, 20, pp.6374-6379.
Linnell, J.D.C. et al., 2000. How vulnerable are denning bears to disturbance?. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 28(2), pp.400-413.

1999

Boyer, B.B. & Barnes, B.M., 1999. Molecular and metabolic aspects of mammalian hibernation. BioScience, 49, pp.713-724.
Buck, C.L. & Barnes, B.M., 1999. Annual cycle of body composition and hibernation in free-living arctic ground squirrels. Journal of Mammalogy, 80, pp.430-442.
Buck, L.C. & Barnes, B.M., 1999. Temperatures of hibernacula and changes in body composition of arctic ground squirrels over winter. Journal of Mammalogy, 80, pp.1264-1276.

1998

Boyer, B.B. et al., 1998. Differential regulation of uncoupling protein gene homologues in multiple tissues of hibernating ground squirrels. American Journal of Physiology, 275, pp.R1232-R1238.

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
  • Reproductive Biology of Vertebrates
  • Biological Rhythms
  • Physiological Ecology of Over-Wintering
  • Graduate Seminar in Physiology and Neurobiology
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