Todd E GillisDr. Todd Gillis studied marine biology at the University of Guelph where he became fascinated by the biochemical and physiological adaptations that allow animals to live under extreme environments. He completed an MSc at Guelph looking at temperatureadaptation in gill mitochondrial membranes from Arctic and temperate marine bivalves. His PhD, at Simon Fraser University, focused upon the mechanisms that enable cardiac function in trout at their comparatively low physiological temperature. This work specifically focused on the structure-function relationships of a protein called troponin C that enable it to work at low temperatures. As a NSERC Post-Doctoral Fellow in the lab of Dr. Mike Regnier in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Washington, he worked on a variety of projects looking at the thin filament regulatory proteins and their role in controlling cardiac contractility. At the moment, his research program is focused upon the vertebrate heart and the mechanisms that regulate its function. The underlying theme of this work is the evolution of protein structure and function and the role this plays in determining the physiological scope of organisms. Read More Read Less