Expertise
McDonald’s research program most broadly investigates the role of the stress hormone cortisol and the monoamine neurotransmitter serotonin (5-HT) in the control of fish physiology and behavior during times of environmental stress. The research done by her lab not only advances our understanding of fish physiology and behavior, but can also be applied to marine mammal or human health, especially when considering that fish, in some respects, make better marine mammal or human health models than commonly used rodents. Currently, McDonald’s research focuses on four main areas i. Alternative methods of chemical communication in marine fish; ii. Peripheral 5-HT dynamics: the role of the 5-HT transporter (SERT) and other transporters in controlling circulating 5-HT; iii. The impact of Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil exposure on the fish glucocorticoid stress response, and; iv. Mechanisms of ammonia tolerance in toadfish and their brain astrocytes.