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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

1997

Boyer, B.B. et al., 1997. Leptin prevents post-hibernation weight gain but does not reduce energy expenditure in arctic ground squirrels. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, 118c, pp.405-412.

1996

Barnes, B.M., 1996. Relationships between hibernation and reproduction in male ground squirrels. In A. J. Hulbert, Nicol, S. C. , & Geiser, F. Adaptations to the cold: Tenth International Hibernation Symposium. Adaptations to the cold: Tenth International Hibernation Symposium. Armidale: University of New England Press, pp. 71-80.
Barnes, B.M., 1996. Sang froid: The supercooled "slumber" of the coldest mammal on Earth. The Sciences, 36(5), pp.12-14.
Cossins, A.R. & Barnes, B.M., 1996. Southern discomfort. Nature, 382, pp.582-583.

1995

Deviche, P. & Barnes, B.M., 1995. Introduction to the symposium: Endocrinology of Arctic birds and mammals. American Zoologist, 35, pp.189-190.

1993

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.
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.
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.

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