Professor

Comparative and Evolutionary Physiology

Circulation and Gas Exchange

As a broadly trained, integrative physiologist, my research efforts are divided among five areas; understanding the mechanism(s), regulation and functional significance of intracardiac shunting in "lower vertebrates", investigating the factors that determine and regulate the cardiopulmonary response to elevated metabolism in "lower vertebrates", investigating the ontogeny of cardiovascular regulation, studying acclimatization to hypoxia and investigating the effects of gravity on the vertebrate cardiovascular system. My research focuses on vertebrates and spans several groups, including amphibians, reptiles and humans. My laboratory provides a unique evolutionary perspective into circulation and respiration and seeks to discover not only differences among organisms, but the unifying principles shared by diverse organisms.

I believe that it is important to articulate the power of comparative and evolutionary physiology and to point out that these approaches are not mutually exclusive to biomedical sciences. Comparative physiology, at its most basic level, seeks to discover how animals work, and, most importantly, why animals work the way they do. These two seemingly straightforward questions have far-reaching implications and require a variety of investigative approaches. The comparative physiologist is challenged to determine the details of physiological mechanisms while simultaneously gaining insights into ultimate causation, i.e. the evolutionary or adaptive significance of a physiological process or trait. This manifold focus on proximal mechanism and ultimate causality requires that comparative and evolutionary physiologists bring to their investigations a diversity of analytical approaches and to effectively integrate molecular, cellular, organismal, morphological, biomechanical, biophysical, ecological and evolutionary information.

B.A. (Biology), California State University, Fullerton, CA, 1977.
M.S. (Biology), University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 1979.
Ph.D. (Biomedical Sciences/Physiology), School of Medicine, Univ of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 1984.

Young Investigator Award, School of Medicine, Creighton University, 1991

Excellence in Teaching, School of Biological Sciences, UCI 1999-2000

Editor-in-Chief (2001-present), Physiological and Biochemical Zoology

Chair, Comparative and Evolutionary Physiology Section, American Physiological Society (2004-2007)

Council Member, American Physiological Society (2007--2009)

Chair-Elect, Division of Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry, Society for Integtrative and Comparative Biology (2009--2010)

Wall-E and the Professor

Axelsson M, Dang Q, Pitsillides K, Munns S, Hicks J, Kassab GS. A novel, fully implantable, multichannel biotelemetry system for measurement of blood flow, pressure, ECG, and temperature. J Appl Physiol. 2007 Mar;102(3):1220-8.

Britt, E. J., Hicks, J. W., Bennett, A. F. (2006) The energetic consequences of dietary specialization in populations of the garter snake, Thamnophis elegans J Exp Biol 209: 3164-3169

Hartzler, L. K., Munns, S. L., Bennett, A. F., Hicks, J. W. (2006)Metabolic and blood gas dependence on digestive state in the Savannah monitor lizard Varanus exanthematicus: an assessment of the alkaline tide J Exp Biol 209: 1052-1057. PDF(full text)

L.K. Hartzler, , S.L. Munns, A.F. Bennett and J.W. Hicks (2006) Recovery from an activity-induced metabolic acidosis in the American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis Comp Biochem and Physiol - Part A: Mol & Int Physiol Volume 143, Issue 3 , Pages 368-374 PDF(full text)

Wang, T., Andersen, J. B. and Hicks, J. W. (2005). Effects of digestion on the respiratory and cardiovascular physiology of amphibians and reptiles. In Physiological and Ecological Adaptations to Feeding in Vertebrates (ed. J. M. Starck and T. Wang), pp. 279-303. Enfield, NH, USA: Science
Publishers.

McCue, M. D., A. F. Bennett, and J. W. Hicks.(2005). The effect of meal composition on specific dynamic action in Burmese Pythons (Python molurus) . Physiol. Biochem. Zool. 78: 182-192. PDF (full text)

Munns, SL., Hartzler, LK, Bennett, AF, and Hicks, JW (2005)Terrestrial locomotion does not constrain venous return in the American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis J. Exp. Biol. 2005 208: 3331-3339. PDF (full text)

Hicks, JW and Munis, JR (2005) The siphon controversy counterpoint: the brain need not be "baffling" Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 289: R629-R632 PDF (full text)

Andersen, JB, Rourke, B, Caiozzo, V, Bennett, AF and Hicks, JW (2005) Postprandial cardiac hypertrophy in pythons, Nature, 434, 37 - 38 (03 Mar 2005) PDF (full text)

Munns, SL, Hartzler, LK, Bennett, AF, Hicks, JW (2004) Elevated intra-abdominal pressure limits venous return during exercise in Varanus exanthematicus J Exp Biol 207, 4111-4120 PDF (full text)

Hicks JW, Wang T.(2004) Hypometabolism in reptiles: behavioural and physiological mechanisms that reduce aerobic demands.Respir Physiol Neurobiol. Aug 12;141(3):261-71: PDF (full text)

Wang, T, Hicks, JW (2004) Why savannah monitor lizards hyperventilate during activity: a comparison of model predictions and experimental data. Respir Physiol Neurobiol Dec 15;144(2-3):251-61 PDF (full text)

Hicks, JW, Bennett, AF (2004) Eat and run: prioritization of oxygen delivery during elevated metabolic states, Respir Physiol Neurobiol Dec 15;144(2-3):215-24l PDF (full text)

Krosniunas, E. and Hicks, JW (2003) Cardiac Output and Shunt during Voluntary Activity at Different Temperatures in the Turtle, Trachemys scripta. Physiol Biochem Zool 76(5):679–694 PDF (full text)

Crossley DA 2nd, Hicks JW, Altimiras J. (2003) Ontogeny of baroreflex control in the American alligator Alligator mississippiensis. J. Exp. Biol., Aug;206(Pt 16):2895-902 PDF(full text)

Hicks, JW (2002) The Physiological and Evolutionary Significance of Cardiovascular Shunting Patterns in Reptiles, NIPS 17: 241-245 PDF (full text)

Wang, T; Hicks, JW (2002) An integrative model to predict maximum O2 uptake in animals with central vascular shunts, Zoology 105 (2002): 45-53 PDF(full text)

Platzack, B., Wang, Y., Crossley, D., Lance, V., Hicks, J. W. and Conlon, J. M. (2002). Characterization and cardiovascular actions of endothelin-1 and endothelin-3 from the American alligator. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 282, R594-602. PDF (full text)

Platzack, B. and Hicks, J. W. (2001). Reductions in systemic oxygen delivery induce a hypometabolic state in the turtle Trachemys scripta. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 281, R1295-301. PDF (full text)

Kemper, W. F., Lindstedt, S. L., Hartzler, L. K., Hicks, J. W. and Conley, K. E. (2001). Shaking up glycolysis: Sustained, high lactate flux during aerobic rattling. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 98, 723-8. PDF (full text)