Alexander R. Gerson, Ph.D. Department of Biology University of Massachusetts, Amherst 409 Morrill III South 611 N. Pleasant St. Amherst, MA, 01003 CURRENT POSITION Assistant Professor University of Massachusetts, Amherst ACADEMIC TRAINING Email: argerson@bio.umass.edu Phone: (413) 545-­‐2782 alexandergerson.com Jan 2015-­‐Present Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
Jan. 2013 – Dec. 2014
of Canada (NSERC) Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Biology, University of New Mexico Supervisor: Dr. Blair Wolf Postdoctoral Fellow Aug. 2012 -­‐ Dec. 2012 Advanced Facility for Avian Research Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario Supervisor: Dr. Christopher Guglielmo Ph.D. Biology 2007 -­‐ 2012 Department of Biology, Advanced Facility for Avian Research University of Western Ontario Thesis Title: Environmental Physiology of Flight in Migratory Birds Advisor: Dr. Christopher G. Guglielmo http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/734/ M.Sc. Zoology 2004 -­‐ 2007 Department of Biology University of Western Ontario Thesis Title: The Effects of Dietary Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Mitochondrial Metabolism in Mammalian Hibernation Advisor: Dr. James F. Staples B.S. Biology 2000 -­‐ 2004 State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry Environmental and Forest Biology Alexander R. Gerson FELLOWSHIPS, AWARDS AND GRANTS Fellowships Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada 2013-­‐2015 Postdoctoral Fellowship Value $80,000 Ontario Graduate Scholarship 2011-­‐2012 Value $15,000 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, 2009 -­‐ 2011 Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship (NSERC-­‐CGS-­‐D). Value $70,000 over 24 months Ontario Graduate Scholarship 2009 Value $15,000. -­‐ Declined Awards Chunfang Hu Outstanding Ph.D. Thesis Award 2012 Biology Department, Univ. Western Ontario Graduate Student Research Prize 2011 The Canadian Council of University Biology Chairs W.S. Hoar Award Finalist 2011 Canadian Society of Zoologists Top Student Poster Award 2010 American Physiological Society Top Student Poster Award 2006 American Physiological Society Grants Canadian Society of Zoologists Postdoctoral Travel Support 2013 Value $250 EPCOR Water Ltd. Student Travel Award 2011 Canadian Society of Zoologists Value $500 USD. Michael Locke Graduate Travel Bursary in Zoology 2011 Value $500 USD Frank M. Chapman Memorial Award 2009 Value $2000 USD 2 Alexander R. Gerson American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2009 Science Program for Excellence in Science Award SERVICE Editorial services Canadian Journal of Zoology: Member of the editorial board (2013-­‐present) Manuscript Reviewer Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Journal of Experimental Biology, Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Journal of Arid Environments, Nature Knowledge, Journal of Thermal Biology, PLOS One, Conservation Physiology Grant Reviewer National Research Foundation – South Africa Departmental and University Service Graduate representative to the undergraduate education committee 2006 University of Western Ontario Biology Department PUBLICATIONS Published Peer Reviewed 12) Gerson, A.R., Smith, E.K., Smit, B., McKechnie, A.E., Wolf, B.O. (2014). The impact of humidity on evaporative cooling in small desert birds exposed to high air temperatures. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. 87, pp782-­‐795. 11) Hall, Z.J, Bauchinger, U., Gerson, A.R., Price, E.R., Langlois, L.A., Boyles, M., Pierce, B., McWilliams, S.R., Sherry, D.F., MacDougall-­‐Shackleton, S.A. (2014). Site-­‐specific regulation of adult neurogenesis by dietary fatty acid content, vitamin E and flight exercise in European starlings. European Journal of Neuroscience. 39, 875-­‐882. 10) Gerson, A.R. and Guglielmo, C.G. (2013). Measurement of glomerular filtration rate during flight in a migratory bird using a single bolus injection of FITC-­‐inulin. American Journal of Physiology – Renal Physiology. 305, pp F823-­‐F829 9) Gerson, A.R. and Guglielmo, C.G. (2013). Energetics and metabolite profiles during early flight in American robins (Turdus migratorius). Journal of Comparative Physiology B. 183, pp 983-­‐991. 8) Nebel, S., Bauchinger, U., Buehler, D.M., Langlois, L.A., Boyles, M., Gerson, A.R., Price, E.R., McWilliams, S.R., Guglielmo, C.G. (2012). Constitutive immune function in 3 Alexander R. Gerson European starlings Sturnus vulgaris decreased immediately after an endurance flight in a wind tunnel. Journal of Experimental Biology. 215, pp. 272-­‐278 7) Gerson, A.R., Guglielmo, C.G. (2011). Flight at low ambient humidity increases protein catabolism in migratory birds. Science. 333, pp. 1434-­‐1436. 6) Guglielmo, C.G., McGuire, L.P., Gerson, A.R., Seewagen, C.L. (2011). Rapid, Non-­‐invasive measurement of fat, lean, and total body water masses of live birds using quantitative magnetic resonance. Journal of Ornithology. 152, pp. S75-­‐S85. 5) Price, E.R., Bauchinger, U., Zajac, D.M., Cerasale, D.J., McFarlan, J.T., Gerson, A.R., McWilliams, S.R., Guglielmo, C.G. (2011). Migration and exercise-­‐induced changes to flight muscle size in migratory birds and association with IGF-­‐1 and myostatin mRNA expression. Journal of Experimental Biology. 214, pp. 2823-­‐2831 4) Gerson, A.R., Guglielmo, C.G. (2011). House sparrows (Passer domesticus) increase protein catabolism in response to water restriction. American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. 300, pp. R925-­‐R930. 3) Gerson, A.R., Brown, J.C.L., Thomas, R., Bernards, M.A., Staples, J.F. (2008). Effects of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids on mitochondrial metabolism in mammalian hibernation. Journal of Experimental Biology. 211, pp. 2689-­‐2699. 2) Brown, J. C. L., Gerson, A. R. and Staples, J. F. (2007). Mitochondrial metabolism during daily torpor in the dwarf Siberian hamster: the role of active regulated changes and passive thermal effects. American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. 293: pp. R1833-­‐R1845. 1) Gerson, D. F., M. L. Bontius, M. A., Wojtyk, J. F., Lee, J. J., Johnson, D. C,. Lee, R. Kahn, and A. R. Gerson (2001). Measuring Bioreactor Mixing with Mixmeter. Genetic Engineering News, 21: pp. 68-­‐69. Published Book Chapters 1) Staples, J. F., Gerson, A. R. and Brown, J. (2008). Mitochondrial respiration and proton leak in hibernation and daily torpor. In Hypometabolism in animals: torpor, hibernation and cryobiology. eds. B. G. Lovegrove and A. E. McKechnie. Pietermaritzburg: University of KwaZulu-­‐Natal. Manuscripts In Preparation Gerson, A.R., et. al. Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids, endurance flight, and mitochondrial function in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). Gerson, A.R., et.al. Resting house sparrows (Passer domesticus) increase lean mass catabolism in response to low ambient humidity. 4 Alexander R. Gerson Gerson, A.R., et. al. The use of hyperthermia in birds is dependent upon evaporative pathway. SEMINARS AND PRESENTATIONS Invited presentations Gerson, A.R. April 2015. Metabolism, Water loss and extreme environments: The ecological physiology of migratory and desert adapted birds. Texas Tech University Biology seminar series. Gerson, A.R. January 2014. Metabolism, Water Loss and Extreme Environments: The Integrative Ecological Physiology of Migratory and Desert Adapted Birds. The University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Gerson, A.R. February 2012. Fuel use during flight and fasting: the metabolic response to high rates of water loss. Adaptive peaks seminar series. The State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Conference presentations Gerson, A.R., Talbot, W.A., Smith, E., McWhorter, T., Wolf, B.O. (2014). Heat tolerance of Australian birds: The importance of body size, phylogeny, and evaporative pathway. American Physiological Society: Comparative approaches to grand challenges in physiology. Poster. Albright, T.P., Mutiibwa, D., Wolf, B.O., McKecknie, A.E., Smith, E., Gerson, A.R., Talbot, W.A., O’Neill, J., Sadoti, G. (2014). High temperatures, evaporative water loss, and desert avifauna: Mapping dehydration in the cactus wren. Ecological Society of America annual meeting, Sacramento CA. Poster. Wolf, B.O., McKecknie, A.E., Gerson, A.R., Smith, E., Talbot, W.A., Whitfield, M.C., Smit, B., O’Neil, J., McWhorter, T.J. (2014). Sensitivity to extreme heat varies greatly among avian orders. American Ornithological Union / Cooper Ornithological Society annual meeting, Estes Park, CO. Presentation Gerson, A.R., Smith, E.C., Talbot, W., O’Neill, J.J., McKechnie, A., Wolf, B.O. (2014). Differential use of hyperthermia as a thermoregulatory strategy in birds exposed to high temperature. Annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Austin TX. Poster. Wolf, B.O., Smith, E.K., Gerson, A.R., O’neill, J.J., Mckechnie, A.E., Whitfield, M.C., Smit, B.E. (2013). Sensitivity to heat stress varies greatly among avian orders; implications of warming for desert bird communities. Annual meeting of the American Ornithologists’ Union. Chicago, Il. Presentation. Gerson, A.R., Smith, E.K., McKechnie, A.E., Wolf, B. O. (2013). Heat balance in extreme environments and the response to reduced water vapor pressure deficit in desert adapted birds. Annual meeting of the Canadian Society for Zoology. Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Presentation. 5 Alexander R. Gerson Mcwilliams, S.R., Bauchinger, U., Bolser, J.A., Alan, R.R., Smith, A.D., Seeram, N.P., Pierce,
B.J., Boyles, M., Langlois, L., Gerson, A.R., Price, E., Guglielmo, C. (2013). The stress
of stopping over: oxidative stress associated with long-duration flights and its
implications for the ecology of migrants at stopover sites. Annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, San Fransisco, California, USA. Presentation.
Gerson, A.R., Guglielmo, C.G. (2012). Changes in body composition and the metabolic response to water loss during short duration flights in the American Robin (Turdus migratorius). Annual meeting of the Canadian Society for Zoologists, Sackville NB. Presentation. Gerson, A.R. Guglielmo, C.G. (2012). Changes in Body composition and the metabolic response to high and low evaporative water loss during short duration flights in the American Robin (Turdus migratorius). Annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Charleston, South Carolina, USA. Poster. Guglielmo, C.G. Gerson, A.R., (2012). The effects of high carbohydrate versus high protein diet on body composition, endurance flight capacity and fuel mixture in a migratory songbird. Annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Charleston, South Carolina, USA. Presentation. Gerson, A.R., Guglielmo, C.G. (2011). Free Flying Swainson’s thrushes (Catharus ustulatus) catabolize protein as a source of endogenous water. Annual meeting of the Canadian Society for Zoologists, Ottawa, ON. Presentation. Gerson, A.R., Guglielmo, C.G. (2011). High evaporative water loss during endurance flight results in elevated lean mass catabolism in Swainson’s thrushes (Catharus ustulatus). Annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Salt Lake City, Utah. Presentation. Price, E.R., Bauchinger, U., Zajac, D.M., Cerasale, D.J., Mcfarlan, J.T., Gerson, A.R., McWilliams, S.R., Guglielmo, C.G. (2011). Seasonal myostatin expression patterns in migratory birds. Annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Salt Lake City, Utah. Presentation. Price, E.R., Bauchinger, U., McWilliams, S.R., Boyles, M.L., Langlois, L.A., Gerson, A.R., Guglielmo, C.G. (2011). Effects of exercise training and diet on avian muscle biochemistry. Annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Salt Lake City, Utah. Presentation. McWilliams, S.R., Bauchinger, U., Pierce, B., Boyles, M., Langlois, L., Gerson, A.R., Price, E., Guglielmo, C. (2011). Effect of dietary fatty acids, dietary antioxidants, and training on exercise performance of migratory birds. Annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Salt Lake City, Utah. Presentation. Olson, J., Allport, K., Kealey, P., Pierce, B., Boyles, M., Langlois, L., Gerson, A.R., Price, E., Guglielmo, C., McWilliams, S.R., Bauchinger, U. (2011). Annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Salt Lake City, Utah. Presentation. Gerson, A.R., McWilliams, S.R., Bauchinger, U., Staples, J.F., Boyles, M., Langlois, L., Price, E.R., Pierce, B., and Guglielmo, C.G. (2010). Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids, endurance flight, and mitochondrial function in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). Annual conference of The American Physiological Society. Poster. 6 Alexander R. Gerson Gerson, A.R., Guglielmo C.G. (2009). Increased rate of protein catabolism at rest, but not during shivering, as a result of water-­‐restriction in house sparrows. Annual meeting for the Canadian Society of Zoologists. Presentation. Gerson, A.R., Guglielmo, C.G. (2009). Evidence for increased protein catabolism as a result of water-­‐restriction in House sparrows. Annual meeting for the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. Poster. McWilliams, Bauchinger, Langlois, Gerson, Boyles, Oltrogge, Peregrim, Rigoli, Pierce, Rattenborg. (2008) Effects of dietary fats and antioxidants on exercise performance of migratory birds. Fachbeirat, Scientific Advisory Board Meeting. Max Planck Institute for Ornithologie, Seeweisen, Germany. Poster. C.G. Guglielmo, A.R. Gerson, L.P. McGuire & C.L. Seewagen. (2008). Rapid, non-­‐invasive, and direct measurement of fat mass, lean mass and body water of wild birds using a field-­‐portable magnetic resonance scanner. 126th Stated Meeting of the American Ornithologists Union, Portland Oregon. Poster. Gerson, A.R., J.C.L. Brown, and J.F. Staples (2007). The effects of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids on mitochondrial metabolism in hibernation. Annual meeting of the Canadian Society for Zoologists. Presentation. Gerson, A.R., J.F. Staples (2006). The effects of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids on mitochondrial metabolism in mammalian hibernation. Annual conference of The American Physiological Society. Poster. TEACHING AND MENTORING Courses Biology 188 – Introduction to Physiology – Univ. Mass. Amherst. Spring 2016 Biology -­‐ Animal Movement Fall 2015 Biology 486L – Ornithology. Co-­‐instructor with Dr. Blair Wolf (UNM) Fall 2013 Guest Lectures Undergraduate lecture in Ecological and Evolutionary Physiology, Fall 2012 Bio. 502; The University of New Mexico: Topic: Water and Energy balance during flight in migratory birds Undergraduate lecture in Animal Migration, Fall 2011 Bio. 4611; University of Western Ontario: Topic: Fuel use and metabolic constraints in avian migration Undergraduate lecture in Animal Physiology, Fall 2009 Bio. 2672; University of Western Ontario: Topic: The physiology of migration Course development and Teaching Assistantships Advanced Animal Physiology: Developed and taught Tutorial Winter 2012 (UWO) Introductory Biology: Laboratory Instructor Winter 2005 (UWO) 7 Alexander R. Gerson Animal Physiology: Laboratory Instructor Fall 2004-­‐2007 (UWO) Vertebrate Biology: Laboratory Instructor Winter 2004-­‐2006, 2008 (UWO) Online course in Vertebrate Biology: Aided in the development of the course and taught the laboratory for two semesters. Developed media and lecture content for online instruction of taxonomy and basic anatomy. Winter 2009-­‐2011. Instructor: Dr. Brock Fenton, UWO Field course in Marine Biology: Teaching Assistant. Taught identification of intertidal marine organisms. Aided in the development and execution of independent undergraduate research projects. Summer 2005, 2006, 2007. Instructor: Dr. Michael Owen, Dr. James Staples, UWO Undergraduate Mentoring University of Massachusetts, Amherst Lab assistants and independent study: 2015: Nandini Sunil – Sophomore, Biology major; Sanah Rizvi – Junior, Biology Major University of New Mexico O’Neill, J.J. Metabolic rate, water loss and body temperature in response to temperature in five species of granivorous passerines. Honors undergraduate thesis in Biology at the University of New Mexico. 2014. Co-­‐supervised with Dr. Wolf. University of Western Ontario Siddiqui, Z. The effects of ambient humidity on basal metabolic rate and rates of lean mass catabolism in house sparrows (Passer domesticus). Honors thesis University of Western Ontario 2011. Co-­‐supervised with Dr. Guglielmo. Augustine, C. Is there metabolic suppression in the brain mitochondria of hibernating thirteen-­‐lined ground squirrels, Ictidomys tridecemlineatus?. Honors thesis University of Western Ontario 2011. Advisory committee member Bradford, S. The ability of Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) to alleviate hypoxic stress by producing ethanol. Honors thesis University of Western Ontario 2010. Advisory committee member Bazinet, A. How does acclimation improve desiccation tolerance in Drosophila melanogaster? Honors thesis University of Western Ontario 2010. Advisory committee member RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTED IN THE POPULAR PRESS Society for Experimental Biology: March Newsletter Phys Org: Australian birds feel the heat of climate change. Feb 17 2015. http://phys.org/news/2015-­‐02-­‐australian-­‐birds-­‐climate.html 8 Alexander R. Gerson Radio Canada International. Revolutionary Canadian research reveals secrets of bird migration. http://www.rcinet.ca/english/column/the-­‐link-­‐s-­‐top-­‐stories/13-­‐21_2011-­‐09-­‐23-­‐revolutionary-­‐canadian-­‐research-­‐
reveals-­‐secret-­‐of-­‐bird-­‐migration/ Los Angeles Times. Brown, E. (Sept. 9, 2011). Wind tunnel helps show how birds fly so far without water. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-­‐sci-­‐migrating-­‐birds-­‐muscle-­‐20110910,0,1539627.story National Public Radio. Palca, J. (Sept. 10 2011). Thirsty Birds ‘Burn the Engine in flight’. Weekend edition. http://www.npr.org/2011/09/10/140334547/thirsty-­‐birds-­‐burn-­‐the-­‐engine-­‐in-­‐flight?sc=emaf This week in Science. Trading Protein for water. Volume 333, Number 6048, Issue of 9 September 2011. Physorg.com. Migratory birds burn protein as in-­‐flight water source, researchers find. http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-­‐09-­‐migratory-­‐birds-­‐protein-­‐in-­‐flight-­‐source.html http://anpron.eu/?p=23395 http://communications.uwo.ca/western_news/stories/2011/September/researchers_discover_migratory_birds_burn_pr
otein_as_inflight_water_source.html Scienceblogs. Burning Proteins to save water http://scienceblogs.com/lifelines/2011/05/burning_proteins_to_save_water.php Science. Pennisi, E. (2011). Going the Distance. Science. 331 (6016). 395-­‐397. Science Podcast. Social Dominance; Wind tunnels; Your Letters. January 28, 2011. http://www.sciencemag.org/site/multimedia/podcast/index.xhtml Discovery Channel. Daily Planet. April 7, 2010. http://watch.discoverychannel.ca/daily-­‐planet/april-­‐2010/daily-­‐planet-­‐-­‐-­‐april-­‐07-­‐2010/ -­‐ clip286446 9