Sara Lupi

Sara Lupi is a Research Fellow at the Konrad-Lorenz-Institute of Ethology within the Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. Her research focuses on the physiology of bird migration, specifically examining how appetite-related hormones regulate decision-making, fuel metabolism, and flight performance in passerine birds.

Dr. Lupi's current work investigates ghrelin's role in enabling migratory birds to perform prolonged non-stop flights and restore energy reserves through rapid physiological adjustments. She employs innovative methodologies including hypobaric climatic wind tunnels to simulate flight conditions and multinational radio telemetry systems for tracking free-living birds across large-scale movements.

Scientific Awards:

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship

Her research integrates field and laboratory experiments to advance understanding of hormonal mechanisms in avian migration physiology, contributing significantly to behavioral ecology and comparative physiology. Dr. Lupi collaborates within the institute's specialized environment focused on ethology and animal behavior research.