Researcher at NMBU since 2015, I today lead the research group "Fish Neuroendocrinology" in the Physiology unit at PREPAT (Faculty of Veterinary Medicine).
My research interest encompasses the interactions between the molecular, cellular and physiological levels, and the role that environment play in their regulation. Today, I focus my research on the brain and pituitary gland and their plasticity which allows differential hormone production, thus allowing the animals to adapt to their environment through 3 mains reasearch areas:
- MARINE BIOLOGY: Effect of the environmental factors including social interactions, light and temperature, on the fish physiology and behavior
- ENDOCRINOLOGY: Role of the hormones in the regulation of the important physiological functions such as reproduction, osmoregulation, ...
- NEUROSCIENCES: Effects of neurohormones and neurotransmitters on cell activity and cell proliferation, cell migration
I mainly use transgenesis, tissue labeling and imaging techniques with teleost fish as model organisms (zebrafish and medaka) but I also have some work on Atlantic salmon.
I teach in fish fysiology for Veterinary students and in genome science for biology students at NMBU.
I also teach best practices on model fish at the fish facility.