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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

1993

Barnes, B.M., Omtzigt, C. & Daan, S., 1993. Hibernators periodically arouse in order to sleep. In G. L. Florant et al. Life in the Cold: ecological, physiological, and molecular mechanisms. Life in the Cold: ecological, physiological, and molecular mechanisms. Boulder: Westview Press, pp. 555-558.
Barnes, B.M. & Ritter, D., 1993. Patterns of body temperature change in hibernating arctic ground squirrels. In G. L. Florant et al. Life in the cold: ecological, physiological, and molecular mechanisms. Life in the cold: ecological, physiological, and molecular mechanisms. Boulder: Westview Press, pp. 119-130.
Boyer, B.B. et al., 1993. Life in the cold: ecological, physiological, and molecular mechanisms. In G. L. Florant et al. Boulder: Westview Press, pp. 483–491.
Boyer, B.B. et al., 1993. Molecular control of prehibernation brown fat growth in arctic ground squirrels. In G. L. Florant et al. Life in the cold: ecological, physiological, and molecular mechanisms. Life in the cold: ecological, physiological, and molecular mechanisms. Boulder: Westview Press, pp. 483-491.

1992

Daan, S., Strijkstra, A. & Barnes, B.M., 1992. The elusive function of sleep: new insight from hibernators?. In K. Honma & Hiroshige, T. Circadian clocks from cell to human. Circadian clocks from cell to human. Sapporo: Hokkaido University Press, pp. 165-176.

1991

Daan, S., Barnes, B.M. & Strijkstra, A.J., 1991. Warming up for sleep? -- ground squirrels sleep during arousals from hibernation. Neuroscience Letters, 128, pp.265-268.

1990

Barnes, B.M. & York, A.D., 1990. Effect of winter high temperatures on reproduction and circannual rhythms in hibernating ground squirrels. Journal of Biological Rhythms, 5, pp.119-130.

1989

Ruby, N.F. et al., 1989. Suprachiasmatic nuclei influence torpor and circadian temperature rhythms in hamsters. American Journal of Physiology, 257, pp.R210-R215.

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
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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