David J. Coughlin

David J. Coughlin is a Professor in the Department of Biology at Widener University, serving as a media expert in Science & Environment. His office is located in Kirkbride Hall, Room 304, with contact email djcoughlin@widener.edu and phone (610) 499-4025.

His academic background includes:

• PhD in Biology (1991) from Boston University (MA)

Dr. Coughlin's research centers on muscle function during locomotion and feeding in fish, utilizing integrated approaches from whole-animal performance to gene expression. Current work investigates how rainbow smelt survive North Atlantic winter conditions and climate change impacts on brook trout physiology, with field studies across Pennsylvania's wild populations.

His publication trends (2021-2025) reveal concentrated focus on thermal acclimation mechanisms across fish species, skeletal muscle adaptation to environmental stressors, and biomechanics of aquatic locomotion. Research spans molecular genetics, computational fluid dynamics, and comparative physiology, primarily using brook trout, bluegill, and cavefish models.

Key recognitions include:

• Cynthia H. Sarnoski Faculty Fellowship (awarded twice, 2023-2025 cycle)
• National Science Foundation Grant (2018)

He actively mentors undergraduates in research, exemplified by student co-authorship in PNAS publications. Current Sarnoski Fellowship funding supports climate change impact studies on wild brook trout, while past NSF grants enabled foundational work in fish biomechanics.

His laboratory conducts year-round physiological analyses of wild and lab-acclimated fish, collaborating with global researchers on projects ranging from cavefish evolution to trout hydrodynamics, with strong emphasis on conservation applications for threatened species.