Research Team >> M.Sc. Students >> Analisa Lazaro-Cote

Analisa Lazaro-Cote (2015-present)

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have been detected in Canadian surface waters and worldwide. Their use is widespread and is expected to increase with the increasing human population. PPCPs infiltrate the municipal wastewater system by human discharge or improper disposal. This if of concern because these emerging contaminants are designed to target specific physiological pathways at low concentrations, and their effects on non-target organisms is largely unknown. Small-bodied fish species are often used to monitor the environmental impact of anthropogenic disturbances. There is evidence that municipal wastewater effluent (MWWE) compromises the cortisol stress response of fish by disrupting the functioning of the hypothalamus-pituitary-interrenal axis. I propose to investigate the impact of MWWE on the cortisol stress response of fish by comparing molecular and phenotypic endpoints of fish upstream and downstream of MWWE sources. I will measure the ability to synthesize cortisol, the liver metabolic capacity, and the organismal stress response of two fish species native to the Bow River, Calgary, Alberta; longnose dace (Rhinichthys cataractae) and fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas). In summary, I will be fishing along the Bow River and enjoying the outdoors. Sounds like the best job in the world doesn’t it? When I’m not working you will likely find me travelling and attempting to learn new languages.