You are here: Health Sciences > Anatomical Sciences > Staff

Print View Login

Dr Bruce Firth

BSc, PhD (University of New England, Australia)

Senior Lecturer 

Email: Bruce.Firth@adelaide.edu.au

Teaches in the areas of Histology, Gross Anatomy, Neuroanatomy and Comparative Anatomy to students of Science, Health Sciences, Physiotherapy, and Podiatry. He heads the Pineal Research Group within the Neurobiology group. He is also the current postgraduate co-ordinator in the department.

Research Interests

Broad areas of research include physiological ecology, endocrinology, herpetology, and comparative morphology. Especially interested in the sensory, neural and hormonal mechanisms linking the animal to its environment. Main research has centred on the role of the pineal complex in the regulation of circadian rhythms and thermoregulation. Other areas of research include fever in reptiles and the structure and function of chemosensory systems in reptiles.Published extensively in the above areas.

Research Collaborations with Dr Mike Teo, Department of Anatomical Sciences, Dr David Kennaway, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Dr Ingrid Belan, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Flinders University, Adelaide, and Dr Mark Hutchinson, South Australian Museum.

Course coordination:

Anatomy 101 (Physiotherapy I and Podiatry I), Integrative and Comparative
Neuroanatomy III (Science III and Health Sciences III).

Honours and Postgraduates:

Supervised 5 Honours, 4 PhD and 1 MSc student. Currently supervises 1 PhD student.
Departmental postgraduate coordinator.

Recent Publications

1. Firth, BT, Belan I, Kennaway, DJ and Moyer, RW (1999). Thermocycleic entrainment of lizard blood plasma melatonin rhythms in constant and cyclic photic environments. American Journal of Physiology -- Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 277, R1620-R1626.
2. Rehorek, SJ, Leigh, CM and Firth, BT (1999). Rate of protein synthesis of the Harderian gland of a skink, [I]Hemiergis decresiensis[I]: A preliminary study.
   Copeia, 1999,526-528.
3. Rehorek, SJ, Firth, BT and Hutchinson, MN (2000). Can an orbital gland function in the vomeronasal sense? A study of the pygopod Harderian gland. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 78, 648-654.
4. Rehorek, SJ, Firth, BT and Hutchinson, MN (2000). The structure of the nasal chemosensory system in several squamate species 1. The olfactory organ with special reference to olfaction in geckos. Journal of Biosciences, 25, 173-179.
5. Rehorek, SJ, Firth, BT and Hutchinson, MN (2000). The structure of the nasal chemosensory system in several squamate species 2. The vomeronasal organ. Journal of Biosciences, 25, 181-190.

Other Publications of Interest:

1. Moyer, RW, Firth, BT and Kennaway, DJ (1995). Effect of constant temperatures darkness and light on the secretion of melatonin by pineal explants and retinas in the gecko, [I]Christinus marmoratus[I]. Brain Research, 675, 345-348.
2. Rehorek, SJ, Firth, BT and Hutchinson, MN (1997). The morphology of the Harderian gland of some Australian geckos. Journal of Morphology, 231,
   253-259.
3. Moyer, RW, Firth, BT and Kennaway, DJ (1997). Effect of variable temperatures, darkness and light on the secretion of melatonin by pineal explants and retinas in the gecko, [I]Christinus marmoratus[I]. Brain Research, 747, 230-235.
4. Firth, BT and Belan, I (1998). Daily and seasonal rhythms in selected body temperature in the Australian lizard, [I]Tiliqua rugosa[I] (Scincidae): Field and
   laboratory observations. Physiological Zoology, 71, 303-311.

 

 

 

last modified 14/12/2005 14:25 by Mr Tavik Morgenstern