Lab News

The article authored by former MSc student Chris Chen (now studying for his PhD in the Hood Lab at York University) was officially published in the June issue of Functional Ecology. Most exciting was the fact that cover art submitted with the manuscript was chosen and Chris’ article is prominently featured on the cover! Read […]

The paper lead-authored by lab alumnus Chris Chen in Functional Ecology, entitled “Hummingbirds can fuel expensive hovering flight completely with either exogenous glucose or fructose” is now featured in a virtual issue entitled “Locomotion unplugged: how movement in animals is influenced by the environment” edited by Duncan J. Irschick and Tim Higham. Click here to […]

Welch Lab PhD student Brandy Velten’s paper, “Myosin heavy chain isoforms in the flight and leg muscles of hummingbirds and zebra finches” was accepted for publication in the American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology! This will be Brandy’s first Welch Lab publication, and second publication overall. An early online version of […]

Congratulations to lab member Tobias Mankis on being awarded a prestigious University of Toronto Undergraduate Excellence Award in the Natural Sciences & Engineering! Tobias will take part in the study of arctic nestling breeding behaviour ecology and physiology led by Welch Lab postdoc Dr. Laura McKinnon this summer.

Congratulations to Dr. Laura McKinnon, a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow in the Welch Lab, on winning both a 2014 National Geographic Society (NGS) Research and Exploration grant as well as a 2014 Churchill Northern Studies Centre (CNSC) Northern Research Fund (NRF) award! These awards will be used to support Dr. McKinnon’s research on the ecology and […]

 UTSC just posted a story highlighting Welch Lab Banting Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Laura McKinnon’s 2013 L’Oreal Canada for Women in Science scholarship! Read the story here. Only 2 of these awards are given each year for all of the sciences throughout Canada. This truly exceptional award will be used to support Dr. McKinnon’s research on […]

A paper by recently graduated MSc student Chris Chen published in Functional Ecology is being highlighted by several news sources. Chris’ study, entitled “Hummingbirds can fuel expensive hovering flight completely with either exogenous glucose or fructose” is, as of Dec. 8th, the top story on Futurity.org. In addition, the story has been highlighted by several online news organizations, including: e! […]

Congratulations to recently graduated MSc student Chris Chen on the publication of his study in Functional Ecology. Chris’ study, entitled “Hummingbirds can fuel expensive hovering flight completely with either exogenous glucose or fructose” examines just how rapidly and completely hummingbirds can use the sugar in their nectar meals to fuel foraging behaviour. Functional Ecology was […]

A male ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) hovers and feeds from a syringe while carrying a small load of beads. The electromyogram (EMG) traces shown are similar to those occurring in birds muscles during this behviour. Recent MSc graduate Sajeni Mahalingam’s paper, “Neuromuscular control of hovering wingbeat kinematics in response to distinct flight challenges in the ruby-throated […]

We’ve arrived in Colima, Mexico! Before beginning our research on fish-eating myotis bats (Myotis vivesi), we’re taking some time to enjoy the unique ecology of the area. Our first adventure was to Cuyutlán, a coastal location only a 40 minute drive from Colima. The first stop was El Tortugario Centro de Ecológia de Cuyutlán, a […]