Douglas Altshuler
Associate Professor and Graduate Advisor
Email:
Office phone: (604) 827-5361
Lab phone: (604) 822-2373
Web page: Lab page
Research area: Comparative Physiology
Lab Members: J. Bahlman, R. Dakin, A. Gaede, B. Goller, C. Harvey, D. Skandalis, G. Smyth, J. Theriault, J. Wong
History: B.A. (Hons) History, University of California, Santa Cruz; M.Sc. Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University; Ph.D. Department of Zoology, University of Texas at Austin; P.D.F. Bioengineering, California Institute of Technology
One of the most remarkable adaptations in animals is the ability to fly. Birds, bats and insects are among the most successful of terrestrial organisms, and their colonization of diverse habitats and ecological roles provides a rich context for studies of animal behavior and ecology. The study of how animals fly is an intrinsically multidisciplinary field that involves aspects of aerodynamics, physiology, and neuroscience. Although most flight research concerns either mechanisms or ecological interactions, flight behavior provides a powerful yet experimentally tractable system with which to merge reductionist and comparative approaches to understand how complex locomotion is accomplished, and how variation in locomotor performance influences higher-order behaviors. In my laboratory, we aim to integrate approaches ranging from laboratory experiments to evolutionary comparisons because understanding the mechanisms of flight control also requires understanding the historical forces that have shaped it. Conversely, to evaluate the mechanisms by which ecological changes result in biological adaptations requires a well-described system that can be studied in different environments.
Awards
2016
Peter Wall Scholar
For Research
2013
Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) Awardee
For Research
2007
George A. Bartholomew Award
For Research
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
Last updated 22 May 2016