The intrinsic and extrinsic regulation of cardiovascular functions in Crustacea, with particular emphasis on neurohormonal control of cardiac physiology, ontogeny of regulatory mechanisms and adaptations of the cardio-respiratory systems to environmental stresses. My research focus on crustacean cardiovascular physiology. Current problems under investigation center on the ontogeny of cardiac function and regulation.
Specific interests lie in neurohormonal control of the heart and regulation of cardiac output.
This research has a multidisciplinary approach, integrating a variety of physiological techniques with biochemical and immunohistological methods. The traditional view of the invertebrate open circulatory system is one of low complexity and poor regulation. Over the past few years, research has shown the crustacean cardiovascular system capable of a high degree of regulation capable of responding to both internal and external demands. The crustacean heart consists of a single muscular chamber that is suspended within the pericardial sinus. During cardiac contraction, hemolymph is ejected through multiple arterial outlets, each artery supplying a defined region of the animal.