Directory of Experts
Details for Dr Michael Toscano
| Personal details | |
| Name | Dr Michael Toscano |
| Job title | Research Fellow |
| Department | Bristol Veterinary School University of Bristol |
| Contact details | This expert can be contacted via the University of Bristol Public Relations
Office. To help us deal with your request, please mention the Directory of Experts when contacting the Public Relations Office. work+44 (0)117 331 8092 email: public-relations@bristol.ac.uk |
| Qualifications | B.Sc.(Rutgers), M.Sc.(Texas), Ph.D.(Purdue) |
| Professional details | |
| Keywords | animals infection disease |
| Areas of expertise | I am seeking to identify mechanisms that explain why certain animals are able to overcome infection and disease better than others. If a group of animals are given the same dose of an infectious agent, it is likely that some animals will recover within several days while others may take much longer and manifest more adverse symptoms. My current research hypothesizes that the variation manifested is a product of underlying physiological and behavioural patterns that are individual for each animal. For instance, in order to retain energetic resources for critical immunological processes needed to combat the infectious agent, some animals may have an aggressive metabolic shift away from nonessential processes (i.e., reproductive function) while other animals may employ a relaxed behavioural profile. My effort seeks to identify these mechanisms and the environmental factors which affect their success at aiding the animal to overcome the infectious agent. |