Dr. Thomas Galligan is a postdoctoral associate in the Hopkins lab. He is broadly interested in vertebrate endocrinology, conservation physiology, and endocrine disruption.

In the Hopkins lab he is studying hellbender reproductive endocrinology. In collaboration with Dr. Rich Helm (Dept. of Biochemistry) Thomas is using untargeted, mass spectrometry-based techniques to characterize the hormonal underpinnings of paternal behavior in hellbenders and to explore how environmental quality may influence these physiological and behavioral endpoints.

Thomas earned his PhD in Biomedical Sciences (Marine Biomedicine and Environmental Sciences Program) from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in 2017.

For his dissertation, he studied the impacts of DDT exposure on steroid hormone homeostasis in bottlenose dolphins under the guidance of Drs. Ashley Boggs (National Institute of Standards and Technology) and Lori Schwacke (National Marine Mammal Foundation). His dissertation helped better characterize baseline bottlenose dolphin endocrinology through the use of novel analytical methods and remote sampling techniques. Thomas began his PhD studying thyroid development and disruption in the American alligator with Dr. Louis Guillette Jr. who tragically passed away at the end of Thomas’ second year at MUSC.

thomas

Thomas is a proud Hokie! He earned his B.S. in Dairy Science from Virginia Tech in 2013. His interest in endocrinology originates from the undergraduate Dairy Science curriculum, which provided excellent training in reproductive and developmental physiology. He decided to pursue a PhD in environmental endocrine disruption after he took the course “Livestock and the Environment” as a junior. Thomas is very excited to be back in Blacksburg!

Thomas’ research interests are grounded in a lifelong passion for nature, wildlife, and conservation. He seeks to better understand how changes in endocrine function at the molecular through systemic levels ultimately influence individual and population health. He hopes this work will allow conservation policy makers and resource managers to better mitigate the risks posed to wildlife by endocrine disrupting contaminants and stressors.

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