Matt Lovern

Matt Lovern is an Associate Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at Oklahoma State University (OSU), Stillwater, where he has been since 2003. He holds a PhD in Biology from Virginia Tech (2000) and a B.S. in Biology from Duke University (1993), followed by postdoctoral training at Michigan State University's Neuroscience Program (2000–2003). His research focuses on animal behavior, stress physiology, and endocrine regulation, particularly in Anolis lizards, exploring topics such as hormonal influences on sex differences, stress responses in invasive species, and maternal effects on offspring viability.

Teaching responsibilities include courses like Mammalian Physiology, Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, and graduate seminars on topics like implicit bias in STEM. He advises both undergraduate and graduate students through courses like Undergraduate Research Problems and Research for PhD Dissertation.

His research spans zoology, physiology, ecology, and medical sciences, with a focus on understanding how environmental and physiological factors shape behavior and reproductive outcomes. Notable projects include studies on stress physiology in turtles, maternal diet effects on lizard eggs, and the evolutionary basis of endocrine variability.

He has secured grants including the NIH G-RISE program (2021–2025) and NSF funding for studies on sexual selection in precocial species (2013–2019). His lab's work contributes to understanding invasive species success, stress adaptation, and hormonal mechanisms in diverse vertebrates.