Giulia Rossi, PhD

Research Interests

As an animal physiologist, I am deeply interested in understanding the innovative solutions that animals use to overcome life’s most extreme challenges. I routinely integrate behavioural, physiological, and biochemical approaches so that my lab-based studies will translate into ecological contexts.

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During my PhD at the University of Guelph, I studied the behaviour and physiology of a unique group of fishes that transition between aquatic and terrestrial habitats (amphibious fishes). I was particularly interested in understanding the plastic responses that accompany water-to-land transitions, with a focus on those that support locomotion. As a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto, I applied my expertise in physiology in a truly comparative fashion. My work focused on the metabolic physiology of animals with highly specialized diets, including hummingbirds, bumblebees (nectivores), and vampire bats (sanguivores). I investigated how these diets help animals navigate extreme energetic challenges, such as heat waves and migratory events. In my current postdoctoral fellowship at McMaster University, I am investigating the mechanisms of environmental stress tolerance in sea anemones, with a focus on unique mitochondrial adaptations.