Skidmore biology professor receives prestigious international award
Skidmore College Professor of Biology Jason Breves has been named the first researcher from a liberal arts college to receive a top global honor in the field of comparative endocrinology, the study of hormones across animal species. The prestigious award is an example of Skidmore’s top-tier science program and the exceptional opportunities for Skidmore students to engage in research with leading experts in their fields.
Breves, whose research focuses on the endocrine systems of fishes, is the 2025 recipient of the from the International Federation of Comparative Endocrinological Societies, which groups the world’s six primary comparative endocrinology organizations.
The award, which is given every four years, recognizes the outstanding research achievements of a comparative endocrinologist under the age of 45. Upon receiving the medal, Breves will deliver a lecture describing his research at the federation’s conference in Sendai, Japan, in July 2025.
“I’m honored to receive this medal from such a distinguished community of endocrinologists and appreciate that the research I’ve pursued is receiving this recognition,” Breves said. “I’m especially proud to see Skidmore listed among the small number of top institutions whose researchers have received the Pickford Medal. This award is an example of our strong natural science programs at Skidmore and the robust research that fellow faculty and I have been able to pursue together with Skidmore students.”&˛Ô˛ú˛ő±č;
The lead scientist in Skidmore College’s , Breves works to understand how the endocrine system enables animals to thrive in dynamic environments.
In particular, he has examined and demonstrated how it enables fish to actively absorb salt from freshwater environments through specific molecular and cellular processes.
In another line of research, Breves examined , a vital hormone in fishes, other animals, and humans. He identified how aquatic pollutants disrupt endocrine systems essential to the development of Atlantic salmon, an endangered species.
Skidmore has invested heavily in the natural sciences and recently completed the state-of-the-art Billie Tisch Center for Integrated Sciences, the largest single academic project in College history. The innovative center, which now houses all of Skidmore’s science programs under a single roof, boasts an impressive array of laboratories and equipment, some rivaling facilities at larger research facilities. Breves maintains multiple study species, including tilapia, zebrafish, and killifish, within the center’s aquatic animal facility.
“This international honor stands as a testament both to Jason Breves’ trailblazing research in comparative physiology and to his dedication to our students at Skidmore,” said Dean of the Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dorothy E. Mosby. “We extend our congratulations to Jason for this well-deserved honor, which also underscores how we’re applying Creative Thought Matters to the sciences here at Skidmore.”&˛Ô˛ú˛ő±č;
Breves is unique among those who have received the Pickford Medal because previous recipients were all affiliated with research institutions. (The previous two recipients were from the University of Tokyo and University of California, Irvine.) Whereas graduate students often play essential roles in research at larger universities, Breves accomplishes much of his research in collaboration with undergraduate students.
I say unequivocally the best part of being a professor at Skidmore is the students.Jason BrevesProfessor of Biology
"The varied interests of my students enrich my experience as a professor at Skidmore," Breves said. “ Our students often have multiple interests — I have students who are incredible cellists and talented basketball players. They come with interesting life stories and backgrounds. They’re smart, engaged, interesting, and all-around impressive people.”&˛Ô˛ú˛ő±č;
Those students include student researchers like Mariana Posada ’25 and Yixuan Tao ’24, who are listed as co-authors on recent articles that Breves .
“I initially took his class when I was a sophomore. I really loved the material. I really loved his teaching style and the energy that he brought to the class. And I really liked the topic, so I eventually asked to do outside research with him,” explained Posada, a biology major and musician, who plans to pursue graduate studies in ecology after graduation. Publishing a peer-reviewed paper “was something I was really excited about because I know that's not something that a lot of undergrads get to do.”
Skidmore recently completed construction on the Billie Tisch Center for Integrated Sciences, which hosts all of Skidmore's science programs.
Breves acknowledges that the subject of his research — fish endocrinology — may initially sound obscure, but it has broader implications for other species, including humans.
For instance, “prolactin plays an essential role in the development of mammals and the development of fishes,” Breves explained. “We've come to see that the prolactin-regulated pathway for salt transport that we discovered in the gill of fishes is also at play in the kidneys of pregnant women. Patterns of this nature raise all kinds of tantalizing questions about the evolution of physiological systems.”&˛Ô˛ú˛ő±č;
Likewise, the skills and methods Breves teaches to students in courses and labs provide access to multiple careers in biology, other natural sciences, and medicine. Few of his students, Breves quips, go on to become fish endocrinologists.
While fish physiology may appear esoteric at first glance, a foundation in basic physiology is not and is the basis for so many different career paths.
Recent graduates who have worked with Breves include Ryan Springer-Miller '17, an OB-GYN resident at Albany Medical College; Nastasia Nelson ’20, who is pursuing doctoral studies in aging at Columbia University; Chelsea Fuijimoto ’15, a veterinary surgeon in London; Bethany Hunt ’17, a Rutgers University medical student; and Annaliese Chang ’19, a doctoral candidate in biology at the City University of New York’s Graduate Center.
Breves, meanwhile, said he enjoys opportunities to engage in new lines of research both with students and researchers from across the globe. The, for instance, suggests a potentially novel way that marine fishes secrete excess salt through the gill and raises new questions about their physiology.
“What I highly value at Skidmore is the freedom to pursue the biological questions that I find most compelling and the students who are willing to do it with me,” Breves said. “The work that you do may be important in its own right, but ultimately it's the people you do it with who make it worthwhile. This is an enriching career because of the people I get to do biology with here at Skidmore and across the globe.”