Bill Hopkins

- Assistant Research Scientist -

       Dr. William Hopkins received a B.S. in Biology from Mercer University in 1993.  Before entering graduate school he conducted research at Mercer University Medical School, where he studied the effects of pesticides on chitin synthesis in non-target marine invertebrates.  In 1997, Dr. Hopkins received his M.S. in Zoology from Auburn University where he studied endocrinological responses of terrestrial amphibians to trace element contamination.

       In 2001, he completed his Ph.D. in Biology at the University of South Carolina where he examined the direct and indirect effects of inorganic contaminants on the physiology and performance of benthic fish.  Currently, Dr. Hopkins is an Assistant Research Scientist at the University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL).  Dr. Hopkins’ primary interest is the physiological ecology of ectotherms, and how anthropogenic disturbances alter the ability of ectotherms to interact appropriately with their environment.

       Dr. Hopkins’ research program at SREL focuses on physiological ecology and wildlife ecotoxicology. He studies the movement of contaminants through communities via trophic mechanisms, with most emphasis placed on chronic dietary uptake of contaminants by high trophic level predators (e.g., snakes).  He primarily focuses on sublethal endpoints of toxicity including changes in energy allocation, reproductive success, and measures of performance.  He is also interested in maternal transfer of teratogenic compounds and resulting effects on developing offspring.