Each year a number of UBC doctoral students achieve the singular honour of becoming Killam Doctoral Fellows. Here we have a chance to meet PhD Student Sabine Laguë, one of 2013’s outstanding young researchers.
Sabine pursues her research toward a PhD in Zoology under the guidance of Dr. William K. Milsom and Dr. Anthony P. Farrell as part of UBC’s Comparative Physiology Group. Her research topic is “Cardiorespiratory responses to low oxygen at high altitude in bar-headed geese and related waterfowl” It is her hope that with this research she will be able to characterize cardiovascular low oxygen tolerance in bar-headed geese and related waterfowl, providing greater insight into the physiology facilitating high altitude migration. This research will inform our clinical understanding of cardiovascular low oxygen tolerance and high altitude athletic training. Understanding limits to high altitude performance will also inform conservation ecology policy makers about how physiology limits species range and habitat selection - a critical topic in a globally changing climate.
When we asked what, for her, was the best surprise about life as a UBC graduate student, this is what she had to share.
"The best surprise about graduate life was the way in which I was encouraged to broaden the way I approach and think about scientific research. Professors and students in my field are open to conversation and collaboration. Consequently, my research has benefited not only from dialogue with UBC colleagues, but also from conducting scientific research with collaborators in Tibet, Peru, and Brazil. These global experiences have significantly shaped the way I think as a scientist."
Here is a video created about Sabine’s life and work at UBC created as part of UBC’s annual Killam Celebration.
Here you can view Sabine's full student profile.
Here is more information about UBC's graduate programs in Zoology.