Alexis Lawson

I am a Ph.D. student studying physiological and molecular responses to hibernation and torpor in bats. My research examines patterns of oxidative DNA damage, DNA repair, and mitochondrial function to better understand how repeated metabolic stress is managed in a long-lived mammal.

I work primarily with the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), using a combination of laboratory assays and field-collected data. My work integrates comet assays, oxidative damage ELISAs, RNA sequencing, and immune markers with behavioral information such as activity and arousal patterns to examine variation in damage and repair outcomes across individuals and conditions.

Broadly, I am interested in aging biology, stress physiology, and how physiological responses to environmental challenges vary across life history strategies. I am also interested in science communication and interdisciplinary research.

Research Areas:

• Aging Biology
• Stress Physiology
• Hibernation & Torpor
• Oxidative DNA Damage and Repair