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| Name |
Block, Barbara A. |
| Location
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Stanford University |
| Primary Field
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Physiology and Pharmacology |
| Secondary Field
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Environmental Sciences and Ecology |
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 Research Interests
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Dr. Block’s research explores the organismal, cellular and molecular physiology of endothermy, thermogenesis and cardiac function in highly migratory fishes such as tunas, sharks and billfishes. Her work investigates the intersection of organismal metabolism, muscle physiology, locomotion, movement ecology and environmental fitness. She has pioneered the development and deployment of electronic tags on fish and sharks that log their movements, energetics and thermal physiology at the scale of ocean basins. These data on abundance and distribution of animals in a variable ocean environment are essential for designing ecosystem based management plans in pelagic, coastal and shelf habitats. The integration of lab and field research has led to a rapid increase in the understanding of movement patterns, population structure, physiology and behavior of tunas, marlin, swordfish and sharks. Block has also explored the molecular mechanisms by which tricylic PAHs such as phenathranene induce cardiac toxicity in vertebrates as well as excitation contraction coupling and excitation-thermogenic coupling in skeletal muscle. Her focus has been to better understand the role of calcium release and re-sequestration by the ryanodine receptor, calcium ATPase pump and mitochondria in skeletal and cardiac muscle function of vertebrates. |
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