Endocrinology Research & Training
What kind of endocrinology training do we offer?
We offer 3 types of training:
(1) Annually we offer a placement to an undergraduate student, who becomes proficient in endocrinology techniques and hormone profile interpretation
(2) In collaboration with our research partners, we offer advice and on-site training in endocrinology research and techniques to graduate and undergraduate students
(3) In partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, we offer an in-situ week long training course in Wildlife Endocrinology Techniques for organisations wishing to build their own endocrinology programme.
What kind of research can you do with hormone assessment?
Hormone research can be incorporated into a wide range of subject matters, focusing on the individual or the population. • Develop techniques to assess reproductive physiology
• Assess individual reproductive status to time artificial insemination
• Assess reproductive and adrenal health of a captive or free-ranging population
• Investigate causes of reproductive failure
• Investigate social and breeding strategies
• Assess management practices
• Assess behavioural enrichment
• Evaluate visitor effects
• Assess human-wildlife interactions and conflict
• Gender identification
Please view examples of published research using hormone assessments.
Endocrinology Research Interests
In our mission to conserve biodiversity, we must preserve healthy and genetically viable populations. To support conservation efforts, it is important to understand the physiological responses of animals to their changing environment. Endocrinology is a useful tool which can be used by conservation biologists and animal managers to better understand the causal mechanisms underlying issues such as species decline.
Our research projects primarily focus on the relationship between the environment, animal well-being, behaviour, hormones and population health.
Assessing Animal Well-being – Linking Behaviour, Adrenal Function and Health:
The measurement of adrenal hormones is often used in studies concerning animal welfare. To assess the reliability of these measurements in different species, we are investigating the relationships between stress-related behaviours, relative changes in adrenal hormone concentrations and health in a variety of species.
Environment and Management influences on Endocrine function:
We are investigating management factors which may impact the long-term viability of both in situ and ex situ populations. For example, to maintain genetically viable populations it is sometimes necessary to move individuals between locations for breeding. We are investigating how these transfers affect behaviour, health and reproductive capacity. Reproductive success can also vary between individuals; we are investigating why some individuals are more successful than others and moreover what degree of variability in reproductive success is acceptable for long-term population viability and health.
Research Partners
• AZA Wildlife Contraception Center
• European Group on Zoo Animal Contraception www.egzac.org
• Kenyan Wildlife Service www.kws.go.ke
• Liverpool John Moore’s University www.livjm.ac.uk
• Manchester Metropolitan University www.mmu.ac.uk
• Smithsonian Institution www.si.edu
• Thermo-Fisher Scientific www.thermofisher.com
• University of Glasgow www.gla.ac.uk
• University of Liverpool www.liv.ac.uk/mbe/index.html
• University of Exeter www.exeter.ac.uk
• Zoological Society of London www.zsl.org
• Oxford University www.icea.ox.ac.uk
• IBREAM http://ibream.org/