Dr. Ignacio Moore
FACULTY AFFILIATE | Global Change Center
Biological Sciences
Lab Website • Google Scholar • Dept Page
(540) 231-2112 • itmoore@vt.edu

Dr. Moore’s research interests are centered around developing an integrative understanding of how animals function in their unique social and physical environment. As such,he focuses on investigating free-living animals, primarily reptiles, amphibians, and birds, in a variety of habitats (Arctic to the Tropics). Members of his lab use a variety of techniques from disciplines such as physiology, neuroendocrinology, ecology, evolution, and behavior. At Virginia Tech, Dr. Moore teaches the following biology courses: Intro to Animal Physiology (3404), Behavioral Endocrinology (5434), Study Abroad: Tropical Biology & Conservation (3954), and Study Abroad: Caribean Ecology and Evolution (3954). Currently, there are two main foci in his laboratory in relation to global change:
(1) Timing of reproduction in birds. This project is primarily based on Ecuadorian birds but they have also investigated temperate zone birds. From a basic science perspective, Dr. Moore is interested in what environmental cues animals use to time reproduction and how those cues are integrated into physiology and behavior. From an applied perspective, he’s am interested in how those cues are changing and how animals are responding.
(2) Stress and reproduction in birds and reptiles. This project is currently focused on swallows and understanding how stress hormones mediate life-history trade-offs. More broadly, the lab is interested in interactions between stress and reproduction and how these interactions are changing with global change.