Gabriela Wagner

Dr Gabi Wagner is an animal physiologist working at the Norwegian Institute for Bioeconomy Research in Tromsø, Norway. She investigates how animals (e.g. ptarmigan, reindeer, Nordic sheep breeds) time seasonal changes such as migration, fattening, reproduction, moult, antler growth and behaviour. She currently works on Eurasian tundra reindeer (or caribou) investigating seasonal changes in sleep (Reindeer in the Arctic reduce sleep need during rumination) and metabolism (Uncoupling of behavioral and metabolic 24-h rhythms in reindeer). In her applied research she works in collaboration with Sami reindeer herders developing climate change mitigation measures (e.g. sustainably produced reindeer feed) and working on area conflicts through human disturbances such as windfarms, power lines, hut development etc. She has a particular interest in technological solutions that a potential to lighten the herders’ workload such as GPS tracking, animal mortality alerts, new methods for documenting animal losses to predators and use of drones.