Arctic Physiology Lab PI Matt Gilbert
Matthew Gilbert
Principal Investigator
Growing up in Fort Nelson, BC, a small northern town on the Alaska Highway, meant that spending time outdoors was always part of day-to-day life. Whether that was walking or cross-country skiing to school through the forest, hiking, playing hockey on my backyard rink, or fishing with my grandparents. As such, biology and specifically ecology and animal physiology were natural interests of mine when I began my undergrad at the University of Alberta. These interests led me to pursue an MSc with Dr. Keith Tierney, which began my ongoing foray into Arctic research. During my master's, I studied the interplay between the migratory ecology and exercise physiology of Arctic Char in a warming north. After completing my MSc, moving to Vancouver to complete a PhD with Dr. Tony Farrell in the Department of Zoology at the University of British Columbia was a natural transition. Early in my master's program a mentor and collaborator, Dr Jean-Sébastien Moore and I began developing ideas for Arctic char research around Tony's work on local adaptation and temperature tolerance in Pacific salmon. I expanded my research on the environmental physiology of northern fishes as a Weston and NSERC Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John working with Dr. Ben Speers-Roesch. I am currently an Assistant Professor of Animal Physiology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks where I am continuing my research in the Canadian Arctic and developing a parallel program in Alaska. Check out my Research Interests page for more info on my ongoing and future research.
Matt Gilbert, MSc, PhD
Assistant Professor of Animal Physiology
Institute of Arctic Biology and Department of Biology and Wildlife
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Shira Berkelhammer
MS Student
Shira is an MS student studying seasonal plasticity of Arctic char in the central Canadian Arctic. Specifically, her research is focused on understanding seasonal changes in aerobic metabolic demand and performance and the response of cardiac performance to thermal challenges. Prior to joining the lab, Shira earned a BS in fisheries biology and statistics at the University of Vermont, and worked for US Fish and Wildlife Service in Fairbanks. In her free time, she enjoys backcountry skiing, climbing, hiking, knitting, and baking cookies.
Augustus Snyder
PhD Student
Augustus “Gus” Snyder is a Ph.D. candidate in the Gilbert lab studying polar fish physiology. His
current research focuses broadly on understanding how organisms respond to changes in their
environment, with an emphasis on integrating molecular and biochemical techniques with
organismal-level performance data to get at physiological mechanisms. He has field experience
in Antarctica (Palmer Station 2023), South America, and recently in Cambridge Bay, Canada. His
lab experience includes expertise in transcriptomics, metabolomics, protein expression, and
enzymology. Outside of research, Gus enjoys spending copious time outdoors as a dog-dad with
his Alaskan husky-mix, Kepler, as well as indoors baking sourdough for friends and family. He is
an avid cyclist both on the trail and pavement with several years of experience as a bike
mechanic as well.
Emily Williams
PhD Student
Emily is a PhD student studying the seasonal plasticity of Arctic fishes in Alaska and in the central Canadian Arctic. Specifically, her research is focused on identifying seasonal thermal limits for key physiological functions, characterizing seasonal changes in cardiorespiratory performance and demand, including identifying optimal temperatures, and examining the physiological mechanisms that underly critical and optimal temperatures in several Arctic fishes. Prior to joining the lab, Emily earned an MS and BS in biology from the University of New Brunswick and worked for a science communication and outreach program throughout her degrees. In her free time, she enjoys birdwatching, hiking, and photography.
Siya Bhagat
MS Student
Siya is currently studying the thermal influences on the energetics of Alaska Chinook salmon, with a focus on metabolism, growth, and feeding. Before joining the Arctic Physiology Lab, she earned a BS in Zoology, Environmental Science, and Chemistry. She has explored a wide range of conservation work, from human-leopard conflict and cheetah behavior to coral reef soundscapes in the Lakshadweep islands. Siya is fascinated by the physiological capacities of fish and how they adapt to climate change, and she is excited to take up this new research path. Outside the lab, Siya enjoys playing sports, photography, filmmaking, and exploring new adventures in the wild.
Matt Zimmerman
PhD Student
Matt is interested in the use of ecology and physiology to inform the conservation and management of freshwater vertebrates. For his Ph.D. studies, Matt is a member of the Evolving Meta-Ecosystems (EvoME) Institute, where he investigates the ecological and physiological responses of arctic grayling to rapid changes occurring in river tundra environments. Before starting at UAF, Matt earned his M.S. in Biology at Western Carolina University studying seal salamander coloration and stress physiology and his B.S. degrees in Ecology and Chemistry at Augusta University, in his hometown of Augusta, Georgia. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, kayaking, and crocheting.
Amelia Wagner-Jones
BS Student
Amelia is an undergraduate student researcher working on a BS in biology with a physiology concentration and a minor in art. Her research focus is on cardiac performance under thermal stress in Chinook salmon, and she received an URSA award to investigate molecular mechanisms underlying seasonal plasticity of cardiac function. After graduating, she hopes to continue physiology research by pursuing a MS. Outside of the lab, she enjoys filling her time with climbing, skiing, and biking.
Larissa Barreiros Scatamburlo
BS Student
Larissa is an undergraduate student from Brazil studying Biological Sciences at UAF. She has been part of the Arctic Physiology Lab since spring 2025, initially supporting a project focused on the effects of temperature on juvenile Yukon River Chinook salmon. Larissa also has parallel research that focuses on comparing the diet, growth, and energetics of Northern pike in stocked and un-stocked aquatic ecosystems in Alaska. In her free time, she enjoys going to the beach, playing volleyball, and hiking.
Will Samual
Research Professional
Will studies a wide variety of topics related to fish and freshwater ecology. His research projects range from temperature effects on fish to stream restorations to understanding wildfire impacts on aquatic systems. His primary interests lie in species interactions, including multiple ongoing studies to understand how beavers impact fish resources in Alaska. Other research interests include using remote sensing techniques to monitor and manage aquatic ecosystems.
As we grow the lab we are always interested in hearing from potential students and post-docs. We receive many inquiries so please include information on why specifically you're interested in the work we do along with a CV and Transcript. Funding is often a limiting factor in our ability to take on new lab members so if you are interested in applying for specific fellowships (e.g., NSF GRFP) or have other ideas for funding please mention that in your email.
© 2023, m.gilbert@unb.ca