ECR Spotlight is a series of interviews with early-career authors from a selection of papers published in Journal of Experimental Biology and aims to promote not only the diversity of early-career researchers (ECRs) working in experimental biology but also the huge variety of animals and physiological systems that are essential for the ‘comparative’ approach. Kristina Muise is an author on ‘ Hibernating female big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) adjust huddling and drinking behaviour, but not arousal frequency, in response to low humidity', published in JEB. Kristina conducted the research described in this article while a Master's student in Craig Willis's lab at University of Winnipeg, Canada. She is now a Veterinary Student at Royal Veterinary College, UK.

Kristina Muise

How did you become interested in biology?

I have been interested in all areas of biology since I was a child, but my main motivation was always on the specific branch of veterinary medicine. Through my experiences and education during undergraduate and graduate degrees, I was afforded the ability to further narrow down my interests within veterinary medicine and chose a route specifically exploring wildlife diseases and conservation medicine. Nonetheless, I have always enjoyed exploring and learning about other branches of biology seemingly unrelated to veterinary medicine, such as ecology, microbiology and biochemistry, but knowing that these branches of biology do have their influence within veterinary medicine.

Describe your scientific journey and your current research focus

I entered my undergraduate degree at the University of Winnipeg (Canada) with the full intention of completing my prerequisites for veterinary school, then becoming a veterinarian. However, during my first year of undergrad, I took an intro biology course with Dr Craig Willis who spoke a lot about his research programme with bats and white-nose syndrome. Through Dr Willis, I became extremely interested in research and academia and decided to apply for an NSERC undergraduate research grant with him listed as my supervisor. Unfortunately, I did not get the award; however, Dr Willis still took me on as a summer student that year to do fieldwork with bats. After that summer, I applied to veterinary school in Canada, yet was rejected, and ended up returning to Dr Willis' lab (with Dr Liam McGuire as an additional supervisor) to complete a thesis studying the pre-hibernation foraging behaviour of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) for my Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree.

Following my undergraduate degree, I worked full-time in a small animal veterinary practice for a few years, and repeatedly applied to veterinary school in Canada with no luck. I then made the decision to return to Dr Willis' research lab at the University of Winnipeg and complete a Master of Science in the Bioscience, Technology and Public Policy programme. My thesis analysed the hibernation physiology and behaviour of big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) and aimed to uncover underlying resistance mechanisms to the fungal disease white-nose syndrome. The present article published in JEB is one of two studies that resulted from my thesis.

During my MSc, I decided to stop applying to veterinary schools in Canada and to start applying internationally. As a result, I was offered and accepted a spot at the Royal Veterinary College (UK) for the Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine degree (Graduate Entry). At present, I am a fourth-year veterinary student, and after completing my veterinary degree, my plan is to continue on with a PhD in wildlife diseases and conservation medicine.

How would you explain the main findings of your paper to a member of the public?

Female big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) in captivity huddled in denser groups and drank more water when hibernating in dry conditions, compared with those hibernating in humid conditions. However, surprisingly, bats in the dry environment did not arouse more frequently from hibernation to drink water more often. By changing their behaviour, big brown bats could possibly stay hydrated despite hibernating in a wide range of humidities during long winter periods.

A female big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) from our study.

A female big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) from our study.

Why did you choose JEB to publish your paper?

We chose JEB initially as their readership fitted the cohort of ecophysiologists and behavioural biologists that would be interested in learning more about the results from our study. Additionally, there are many integrative and ecological physiologists that follow JEB that would be interested in the results from our study. We also chose JEB to make use of the Read & Publish programme, which allowed us to publish Open Access and have our article readily available to scientists and the wider public immediately upon publication.

What do you enjoy most about research, and why?

I enjoy the puzzle-solving aspect of research questions, where each piece of discovered information can contribute to the overall bigger picture of wildlife diseases. Sometimes it is hard to remember that individual research problems do not exist in a vacuum and that there are always connections that can lead to wider implications. I also enjoy the process (and subsequent joy) of uncovering underlying patterns or mechanisms of animals that are not yet known to the world, and the possibility of the knowledge being used to create real world solutions in wildlife conservation.

Do you have a top tip for others just starting out at your career stage?

Embrace failures. I genuinely believe that the best things in my personal life and research career were born out of the many failures that I have faced along the way. I would be living a completely different life and have a much different career if I had succeeded on the first try of many of my endeavours. I would also not have the knowledge or skill sets that I possess today if I were not made to try over and over again… repeatedly.

However, I will admit that facing one's letdowns is easier said than done. It takes a lot of practice to embrace and work through failures and it is not something that comes easily on the best of days. Nevertheless, the ability to look at a problem, analyse how and why things went wrong, and take away a lesson to apply to any future endeavors is a skill that can lead to (many) future successes.

What's next for you?

My next plan is to complete a PhD in wildlife diseases and conservation medicine. I like the idea that I can combine my previous education and experiences in bats with my current education in veterinary medicine and use it to explore research questions with wildlife. I am aiming for a career where I can solve problems with emerging infectious diseases and wildlife around the world.

Kristina Muise’s contact details: Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield, North Mymms, AL1 7TA, UK.

E-mail: [email protected]

Muise
,
K.
,
Dzal
,
Y.
,
Fletcher
,
Q.
and
Willis
,
C.
(
2024
).
Hibernating female big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) adjust huddling and drinking behaviour, but not arousal frequency, in response to low humidity
.
J. Exp. Biol.
227
,
jeb246699
.