Antara Binta Akkas

A fish biologist and researcher with a background in Fisheries Science and ecotoxicology, and currently a PhD student in the Department of Zoology at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada. My research focuses on fish comparative physiology, with a particular interest in the osmorespiratory compromise; the fundamental physiological trade-offs fish face when balancing the physiological demands across different environments.
Before beginning my PhD, completed the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's Degree in Environmental Contamination and Toxicology (ECT+), an interdisciplinary and international scholarship program fully funded by European Union that strengthened my expertise in ecotoxicology, environmental chemistry, and aquatic environmental risk assessment. My Master's research, titled “Endocrine Disrupting Chemical Mixtures Modulate Behavior and Metabolic Rate in Turquoise Killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri),” investigated how environmentally relevant chemical mixtures can influence fish behavior and metabolism.
With a Bachelor's degree in Fisheries and research experience spanning fish biology, physiology, behavioral ecotoxicology, endocrine disruption, metabolism, and environmental contamination, I am interested in understanding how fish respond and adapt to environmental challenges from both ecological and physiological perspectives. I am particularly fascinated by the remarkable physiological diversity of fish and the trade-offs that shape their ability to survive and thrive in changing environments.