Juan Sepulveda

MS
Biology

Juan's research aims to explain how cold temperatures and low oxygen at high elevations affect heart size in Andean birds. Focusing on the effects of these two factors, Juan will compare heart size and ventricular structure across species located among low, mid, and high elevational ranges. These bird collections will be paired with contrast-enhanced micro-CT imaging to quantify heart volumes and specific ventricle sizes. This will allow us to answer the question of whether thermal stress or oxygen limitation primarily drives cardiac changes in wild bird populations.