Nature lover's legacy funds frog research

Aug. 8, 2015

The Joan Outerbridge Trust, a legacy of local nature lover Joan Outerbridge, has given $50,000 to support Dr. Helbing's research program sequencing and annotating the first “true frog” genome, linking molecular effects with behavioral outcomes, and evaluating the impact of external factors such as pollution and climate change on animal health.

Amphibians are the only group where most of its members exhibit a life history that includes distinct independent aquatic larval and terrestrial juvenile/adult phases. The transition between these phases requires almost complete remodeling of the organism (metamorphosis). This places amphibians in a unique position for assessing toxicological effects in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. Dr. Helbing's research will expand our knowledge of molecular mechanisms of wildlife responses to environmental contaminants, helping inform decisions about the safe use of different contaminants.

Read Joan Outerbridge's obituary in the Times Colonist.