Dr. Sarah Alderman Assistant Professor, Department of Integrative Biology, My research interests span functional systems, regulatory levels, and life history stages of aquatic vertebrates with a focus on how an animal’s physiology changes in response to environmental stressors. I am specifically interested in the regulation of the neuroendocrine stress response, and how elevated cortisol levels affect brain and heart function to modify physiology and behaviour. My research employs both model and non-model species (ex. zebrafish, Pacific salmon) to address specific questions on the mechanisms and consequences of stressor-induced changes to physiology using advanced molecular, histological, and proteomics tools. Current projects include: (i) effects of crude oil exposure on salmon development and physiology; (ii) evolution and regulation of adult neurogenesis in fish; (iii) identification and application of blood biomarkers in fish; (iv) stressor-induced developmental plasticity in reptiles and fish.

[email protected]

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Amanda Reside, MSc. My work has spanned both the lab and the field, integrating many aspects of biology including ecology, animal physiology, and human health. My master’s focused on ecotoxicology and behavioural neuroscience, investigating the fate of toxins in freshwater systems and their effect on the brains and behaviour of aquatic animals. My current work examines the sublethal effects of crude oil exposure on sockeye salmon.

Contact me at [email protected]

Derin Calik, PhD student. I graduated with a BSc in Marine and Freshwater Biology from the University of Guelph. Currently, I am interested in the comparative physiology and environmental stress responses of aquatic vertebrates. My research with the Alderman Lab focuses on the toxicity of diluted bitumen on Pacific salmon embryos, and whether an ambient temperature differential alters their physiological response, from a molecular and developmental perspective.

Emma Flatt, MSc Student. I graduated with a BSc in Zoology from the University of Guelph. I am now interested in the comparative stress physiology and neurophysiology of fish. My research focuses on investigating the regulation of hsd11b2 in the adult zebrafish brain and its potential role in mediating the context-specific effects of stress on neurogenesis.

Chacko Sujith, MSc student. I graduated from the University of Ottawa with an Honours B.Sc. in Biology. I am interested in ecotoxicology and moved to Guelph to begin my M.Sc. My research in the Alderman and Gillis lab focuses on the effects of diluted bitumen on the thyroid axis and olfactory epithelium in Coho salmon. I am specifically looking at the chronic and acute exposures of diluted bitumen in the early life stages using molecular and histological methods. 

Chengcheng Zhang, MSc student. I finished my B.Sc. in Wildlife Biology and Conservation at the University of Guelph. I am now interested in the stress physiology and plasticity of fish at early life stages. My research focuses on the role of hsd11b2 in regulating neurogenesis during brain development in zebrafish. 

Faith Young, Undergrad Thesis. I am in my 4th year of my BSc in Wildlife Biology and Conservation completing my undergraduate research thesis in the Alderman lab. My project is in collaboration with Amanda Wiseman’s master’s project where I will be looking at how social dominance affects neurogenesis in the zebrafish telencephalon. I am also interested in whether the outcome of male zebrafish social pairings can be predicted. 

If you would like to know more or have any questions, contact me at [email protected]