Robert T. Mason

Cold, dark, and hungry: Dynamic transcriptional regulation across eight months of brumation

The paper uses time-resolved transcriptomics to analyze liver and testis gene expression in brumating snakes, identifying transcriptional patterns linked to cold, starvation, and reproductive suppression.

Trade-offs between surviving and thriving: A careful balance of physiological limitations and reproductive effort under thermal stress

This study examines how red-sided garter snakes balance survival and reproduction under thermal stress through behavioral and physiological plasticity, revealing tight thermal limits and context-dependent strategies.

Skin lipid chemistry influences host-microbiome-pathogen interactions in snake fungal disease (ophidiomycosis)

The paper investigates how snake skin lipid chemistry and the microbiome influence the growth of Ophidiomyces ophidiicola, revealing antifungal lipids and bacterial-fungal interactions that shape the skin microbiome.