Florant, Gregory L.
Gregory L. Florant
Dr. Gregory Florant is a comparative physiologist and expert in animal physiology. He studies the ways animals adapt in extreme environments. He is Professor Emeritus of Biology at Colorado State University, College of Natural Sciences, and the Graduate School Program for Diversity and Access Director. Dr. Florant has been a professor at Swarthmore College and Temple University. Dr. Florant received his B.S. in Biology from Cornell University and his Ph.D. in Biology and Physiology from Stanford University. He has held three Fulbright Fellowships, one in France in 1983 and two in Vienna in 2000 and 2014. His work has advanced the understanding of animal hibernation and the fatty acids responsible for hibernation duration.
“Pick a mentor that sees the world in the same way you do, one that you will get to work well with together. It is an important factor in choosing a mentor.” - Greg Florant, 2023
Viney, M.D., Florant, G.L., Warnock, A.C., Butler, C.M., Donahue, S.W. and Maertens, J.A., 2021. Secrets of the Hibernators: Investigating Metabolism, Bone Structure & the Impacts of Climate Warming. The American Biology Teacher, 83(4), pp.265-269.
Cravens, E.M., Kirkwood, J.S., Wolfe, L.M., Packer, R.A., Whalen, L.R., Wojda, S.J., Prenni, J.E., Florant, G.L. and Donahue, S.W., 2020. The effects of neurectomy and hibernation on bone properties and the endocannabinoid system in marmots (Marmota flaviventris). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology, 241, p.110621.
Mulawa, E.A., Kirkwood, J.S., Wolfe, L.M., Wojda, S.J., Prenni, J.E., Florant, G.L. and Donahue, S.W., 2018. Seasonal changes in endocannabinoid concentrations between active and hibernating marmots (Marmota flaviventris). Journal of Biological Rhythms, 33(4), pp.388-401.
Doherty, A.H., Roteliuk, D.M., Gookin, S.E., McGrew, A.K., Broccardo, C.J., Condon, K.W., Prenni, J.E., Wojda, S.J., Florant, G.L. and Donahue, S.W., 2016. Exploring the bone proteome to help explain altered bone remodeling and preservation of bone architecture and strength in hibernating marmots. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 89(5), pp.364-376.
Doherty, A.H., Florant, G.L. and Donahue, S.W., 2014. Endocrine regulation of bone and energy metabolism in hibernating mammals. Integrative and comparative biology, 54(3), pp.463-483.
Dr. Gregory Florant was born on August 31, 1951, in New York City, NY. When he was six, his family moved to Palo Alto, California. Living in California allowed him to spend most of his free time watching birds and mammals in the hills near where he lived. He also spent a lot of time fishing. As a child, Dr. Florant always loved watching animals. He wanted to know how they could live in different places like hills, deserts, and oceans. To help him improve his reading skills, Dr. Florant’s mother asked him what topics were most interesting. Dr. Florant’s answer was birds, so he began reading bird books, quickly improving his reading level and his knowledge and love of birds.
When he was 14, he got to work at the Palo Alto Jr. Museum. He cared for the eagles, hawks, falcons, and other large predator birds. He liked those kinds of birds so well that he started to learn everything he could about them. He even learned how to train some of the hawks. The opportunity to study many animals while working at the museum helped Dr. Florant realize he wanted to spend his life studying science.
Dr. Florant had great science teachers in high school, which further motivated him to pursue the field. He always knew he would go to college and was even president of his high school’s Future Teacher’s Club. Dr. Florant’s high school highlight was working with a University of California - Berkeley biology professor studying bird eggs. They researched the causes of thinning egg shells and discovered common pesticides, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), were the culprits. In 12th grade, he even got his name on an article in a science magazine from that lab work.
One day, he was researching PCBs and had a question that led the librarian to introduce Dr. Florant to a visiting chemistry professor from Cornell University. After discussing Dr. Florant’s research, the professor urged Dr. Florant to apply to Cornell. Dr. Florant moved to New York to attend Cornell and earned his Biological Sciences and Physiology degree in 1973. He was one of the first Black students to earn a biology degree from Cornell University.
While deciding where to go to graduate school, another professor recommended Stanford University in California. Dr. Florant won a Ford Foundation Scholarship to attend graduate school, so he returned to California to attend Stanford University.
In his first year of graduate school, Dr. Florant studied ravens and their unique adaption to extreme climates. He particularly focused on the function of their black feathers. He raised several ravens, keeping them at an aviary at the top of a Stanford building. He trained the ravens to be comfortable and responsive in his presence. Unfortunately, someone let his ravens out, thwarting his research. “I was heartbroken,” said Dr. Florant. Although devastated, Dr. Florant had to change plans quickly. He began studying marmots at his graduate advisors’ suggestion, though he was not excited. Regardless, he quickly grew to appreciate the animal and has been enthusiastically studying marmot hibernation physiology ever since. He graduated in 1978 as the first Black student to graduate from Stanford with a Ph.D. in biology and physiology.
Dr. Florant studies how animals use the energy their body makes. He looks at how animals get fat and use that fat as energy to live under harsh conditions, like in winter when food is not readily available and animals either have to migrate, find some food, or hibernate.
He researches the mechanisms that animals use to adapt to different situations. Recent investigations have focused on animals that hibernate and the mechanisms they use to regulate energy stores. Specifically, studies of the quantity and quality of lipids stored in fat have proven fruitful in revealing potential mechanisms for sparing the metabolism of essential fatty acids in mammals. Dr. Florant also researches the role of nutrients in regulating food intake and hormonal regulation of metabolism. These studies have addressed the hypothesis: can diet alter metabolic processes, including food intake and pancreatic function. Dr. Florant corroborates laboratory results with field experiments.
After earning his Ph.D., Dr. Florant was an associate professor at Swarthmore College for ten years. Swarthmore was one of his favorite workplaces, as the students were incredibly smart and engaged. The small class size allowed Dr. Florant to engage with them deeply, and several of his students have become professors.
In 1983, while at Swarthmore, Dr. Florant received the first of three Fulbright fellowships. He traveled to Bordeaux, France, to research food intake regulation, studying the action of insulin on feeding, which has clear implications for diabetes research at the University of Bordeaux. They used hibernating mammals to examine how food intake changes during the seasons. Since the animal does not feed for almost seven months, it relies on body fat to provide energy during the winter. Researchers still do not know what turns off their food intake, but they understand better that it involves hormones and neurons in the brain.
Dr. Florant had a great experience in France. “First, being able to speak some French was a great help; second, I love food and wine. So it was like I had come to Nirvana! I was immediately accepted by various food groups around town and got to see how French cooking was done, how wines were made, and how to enjoy them! I got to know a French family very well since the parents worked in my research lab. They took me to their house every weekend, and I experienced French culture at its best! I helped and learned how to cook French food, and we also toured many chateaux. We talked about food, wines, politics, and science all weekend long” (Fulbright Austria, 2014).
After Swarthmore, Dr. Florant taught at Temple University for five years. In 1995, Dr. Florant joined the Biology Department at Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins, Colorado. In his job, he teaches students who are just starting college and those who are working on their Ph.D. He works to ensure his students have the same chance to learn physiology as he did. Dr. Florant visits area schools and talks about science with students of all grades.
In 2000, Dr. Florant received his second Fulbright Fellowship to work at Vienna University’s Institute of Wildlife Ecology in Vienna, Austria. He worked with many intelligent people on groundbreaking collaborations. Dr. Florant also made friends with many who shared his interests in food, beer, wine, and science (Fulbright Austria, 2014). He also learned a great deal about European culture and ethics. His work in Vienna helped identify how fatty acids impact animal hibernation.
Dr. Florant is widely recognized as an outstanding scientist, teacher, and mentor. Dr. Florant’s success has not always been easy, as he has often found himself one of a few people of color in predominantly white spaces. “I had a dual life,” said Dr. Florant. “I did a lot with my biology friends, but I was also a member of the Black Student Union at Stanford, and I had a lot of Black friends. I lived in two worlds” (Ruckman, 2022).
At CSU, Dr. Florant frequently taught students who had never had a Black professor. “I’d tell them, this could be interesting. Maybe you’ll learn something besides just biology” (Ruckman, 2022). Dr. Florant’s work at CSU included teaching and research, but he also advanced critical programs to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion at CSU and in the environmental field. Dr. Florant earned over $1 million in funding for CSU’s Native American Women in Science Scholarship. He also worked with the Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate program and was the Bridge to Doctorate co-director. Dr. Florant helped found the Graduate Center for Diversity and Access, a program that has a 90% graduation rate. He also was the Graduate Center for Inclusive Mentoring director.
In 2014, Dr. Florant received a third Fulbright Fellowship to return to Vienna for studies at the University of Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. Florant has held numerous positions with organization boards and journals. He was an N.I.H. Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Montefiore Hospital. He is a member of the National Institute of Health Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH NIDDK) study section B. Dr. Florant is on the Board of Directors for the Fort Collins Food Bank and serves on the Faculty Athletic Committee at Colorado State University. He is on the editorial and review boards for the Journal of Experimental Biology, American Physiological Society, and Physiological and Biochemical Zoology.
Dr. Florant is now professor emeritus at Colorado State and says, “I hope that I’ve left the institution in a better position, as a better place than when I first came here. I’m hoping that I influenced the number of students and faculty members to carry on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work. I’m hoping that I set an example and high bar for people to continue to be good mentors, good researchers, and good teachers, to all people and to all students” (Ruckman, 2022).
Dr. Florant cites the fellowships and grants he received that allowed him to complete his Ph.D. and post-doctoral work successfully as career highlights. Specifically, his National Science Foundation grant, his Fulbright scholarships, and the Ford Fellowship that helped launch his graduate studies.
When Dr. Florant isn’t in the lab or classroom, he loves to go fishing, hiking, bird-watching, and biking.
Dr. Florant had several good mentors, starting with his father, whom he considers a tremendous mentor. Several of his father’s friends were academics and scientists. Growing up, he had several Black scientists and professionals who served as role models. When he was 14, he worked at the Junior Museum in Palo Alto, where he was mentored by Ted Chandik, who got him interested in working with animals.
He also credits some faculty mentors with his success. One is Peter, who was Dr. Flourant’s undergraduate advisor and has continued to be his mentor. Additionally, Craig Heller and Paul Ehrlich were his mentors at Stanford during his graduate degree.
Dr. Florant emphasizes the importance of finding good mentors. He says, “Pick a mentor that sees the world in the same way you do, one that you will get to work well with together. It is an important factor in choosing a mentor. Also, look at the mentor’s track records to see if they have produced good individuals” (Ruckman, 2022).
Fulbright Austria. 2014. Gregory L. Florant. Retrieved July 6, 2023 from https://www.fulbright.at/stories/detail/gregory-l-florant. Hooper, Laura. 2008. Gregory Florant. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2008 Fall; 7(3): 292–293. doi: 10.1187/cbe.08-05-0022
NSF. n.d. Dr. Gregory Florant bio sketch. Retrieved July 6, 2023 from https://www.nsf.gov/bio/bioac/members/bio_sketch/Greg_Florant.pdf.
Ruckman, Allie. 2022, February 1. Florant’s legacy is one of creativity and science of the highest caliber. Retrieved July 6, 2023 from https://natsci.source.colostate.edu/florants-legacy-is-one-of-creativity….
The American Physiological Society. 2012. Who is Greg Florant? Using Animals That Sleep All Winter to Study Why People Get Fat. Retrieved July 6, 2023 from file:///Users/megdaupan/Downloads/eflorant.pdf.