Christopher Tubbs, Ph.D.

Associate Director

Dr. Christopher Tubbs serves San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance as Associate Director of Reproductive  Sciences. Chris is interested in how environmental chemicals affect reproduction of endangered species. His research focuses on developing in vitro methods to measure interactions between environmental chemicals and the hormone receptors that regulate endocrine function.

He is currently using this approach in the lab to examine the role of dietary phytoestrogens in the poor reproductive success of captive-born southern white rhinos. Another project is investigating contaminants such as DDT and PCBs and how they affect reproduction of coastal-dwelling California condors.

Chris earned his bachelor’s degree in Zoology from the University of Florida and his doctorate from the University of Texas, Austin, Marine Science Institute, where he studied the mechanisms by which hormones influence fish sperm motility.

SCIENCE AT WORK