Education

• 1976 BS in biology. Faculty of Enginering and Natural Sciences, University of Iceland
• 1980 DEA in endocrinology. Universite de Science et Technique du Languedoc, Academie de Montpellier, France
• 1993 PhD in physiology. The August Krogh Institute, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Work

• 1976-1980 Resercher/assistant teacher, Department of physiology, University of Iceland
• 1986-1988 Reseach fellow, Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland
• 1988-1995 Assistant professor, Department of physiology, University of Iceland
• 1995- Associate professor, Department of physiology, University of Iceland

My teaching is in the field of human physiology at the Faculties of Medicine, Dentistry and Nutrition, as well as animal physiology at the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Sciences.
I have supervised or co-supervised several undergraduate and graduate students over the years.

My research has centered around epithelia and endocrinology.  More specifically, the function of intestinal epithelium and kidney tubules of birds, and their control by aldosterone and other hormones.  I have also studied hormones of metabolism and stress and hormones of reproduction.  Recently, my interest has turned to the pigment epithelium of the eye.   Presently, I’m working on the following projects in collaboration with several scientists:

• Avian epithelia: Ion and nutrient transport in colon and kidney
• Ptarmigan health in the field: Fecal metabolites of stress hormones
• Uterine contractility after birth: The effectiveness of oxytocin and misoprostol
• Function of the pigment epithelium:  Role in age-relataed macula degeneration
• Sex steroids in cod:  Correlation with lunar and environmental cycles?

• Gary Laverty professor, Inst. of Biological Sciences, Univ Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA.
• Ólafur K. Nielsen, ecologist, Institute of Natural History
• Þór Eysteinsson professor, Dept Physiology, Univ Iceland
• Sveinbjörn Gizurarson professor, Dept Pharmacy, Univ Iceland
• Jón Ólafur Skarphéðinsson prófessor, Dept. Physiology, Univ. Iceland
• Guðrún Marteinsdóttir professor, Inst. Biology, Univ Iceland