Dr. Gilmour’s current research explores two themes. First, she aims to understand the mechanisms through which fish maintain gas exchange and acid-base balance in diverse environments. Present work in this area is largely focused on the molecular, biochemical and physiological characterization of the various isoforms of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase, which plays key roles in both gas transfer and acid-base balance in a variety of tissues. Second, Dr. Gilmour is using the dominance hierarchies established by small groups of rainbow trout as a means of examining the interactions between behaviour and physiology in salmonid fish, specifically the physiological costs associated with low social status, as well as physiological contributions to competitive ability
