Michael Sheriff

Michael Sheriff is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where he bridges physiology, behavior, and ecology to study how ecological interactions regulate animal populations. His research focuses on the physiological mechanisms linking predation risk, competition, climate, and stress to changes in reproduction, survival, and community dynamics.

• PhD in Teaching Ecology and Evolution from the University of British Columbia (2010)
• Teaches courses in ecology, evolution, and doctoral research (BIO 215, BIO 699)
• Labspace: Sheriff Lab

His research explores predator-prey interactions, transgenerational plasticity, and non-invasive stress monitoring (e.g., gut microbiome analysis). Recent work examines how predation risk affects cognitive abilities in mice, drought impacts on ungulates, and human-induced stress in wildlife.

Scientific awards include:

• Journal of Zoology's Paper of the Year (2023)
• NSF GRFP for student Eleanor DiNuzzo (2020)

Grants awarded include:

• $29,130 (Wild Animal Initiative, 2023) for gut microbiome and stress physiology in wild animal welfare
• $60,000 (Wild Animal Initiative, 2023) for road noise impacts on mice
• $18,200 (Texas A&M-Kingsville, 2022) for fecal stress hormone validation