Rate My Professor Christine Cooper

Cooper's research expertise centers on vertebrate ecophysiology, with a focus on the energetic, thermal, and hygric physiology of native Australian birds and mammals facing environmental stressors such as heatwaves, aridity, and fire. Her studies employ techniques including thermal imaging, respirometry, and behavioural observations to explore adaptations like snot bubble formation for cooling in echidnas (2023), heat tolerance in numbats (2024), predictive water-seeking in zebra finches (2025), and torpor use in arid-zone marsupials (2005). She has produced over 120 peer-reviewed publications, including the co-edited book Ecological and Environmental Physiology of Mammals (Oxford University Press, 2016) and highly cited works such as 'Coping with thermal challenges: physiological adaptations to environmental temperatures' (Comprehensive Physiology, 2012; 470 citations), 'Environmental correlates of physiological variables in marsupials' (Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 2006; 108 citations), and 'Physiological responses of wild zebra finches to heatwaves' (Journal of Experimental Biology, 2020; 60 citations). With approximately 2,845 citations on Google Scholar, her contributions influence conservation physiology. Cooper teaches zoology, ecophysiology, and conservation biology, supervises honours and PhD students, and serves as Associate Editor for Mammalian Species. She engages in public outreach through university podcasts and media on biodiversity and species adaptations.