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Brett Hodinka’s Ph.D. work advances research on the costs of reproduction and mechanisms of mass regulation in birds. Hodinka completed his doctoral studies in five years, achieving a 4.33 CGPA for his efforts. Prior to attending SFU, Hodinka received his undergraduate and master's degrees in biology at The University of Alabama and Western Kentucky University, respectively.

Hodinka’s thesis, , calls into question the widely held traditional view that several routine activities of free-living animals are energetically expensive or “hard work”. Specifically, his research explores the extent to which birds engage in high-intensity activity during chick-rearing and investigates the behavioral and physiological mechanisms birds may use to reduce costs associated with increased workload.

As part of this research, Hodinka was able to identify novel technical solutions to allow for the collection of new data. As one example, he developed an automated weighing system and a ‘back-pack’ system (to manipulate perceived body mass) and successfully used these in the field. He also took advantage of high-tech GPS and accelerometer devices to get detailed information on individual parental care behavior.

During his time at SFU, Hodinka received several awards, including the Graduate Dean's Entrance Scholarship, the Dr. Eva Voigt Graduate Award in Science for Mentoring Leadership, and the Thesis Completion Fellowship Award. His work landed him an Early Career Research Spotlight article in the Journal of Experimental Biology.  Additionally, Hodinka provided support for graduate students through his service on the Biological Sciences Graduate Student Caucus, where he served terms as both treasurer and chair.

Tony D. Williams, Hodinka’s supervisor, summarizes what makes Hodinka’s research so unique.

Says Williams, “Brett’s thesis was ambitious, even somewhat risky, but in my view, has a good chance of over-turning conventional wisdom. It might be controversial since he is re-evaluating costs of parental care and challenging the widely held assumption that free-living animals ‘work hard’, engaging in intense activities at maximum sustained metabolic rates, all or most of the time – but his work will attract attention!”

Hodinka shares some reflections on his time at SFU.

Says Hodinka, “It’s amazing to look back at how much I’ve grown as a scientist since starting my PhD in 2019. I was fortunate enough to have an exceptionally supportive supervisor as well as the necessary resources at my disposal to flourish as a biologist and scholar. Overall, as I embark on the next stage of my academic career, I’m thankful for my time at SFU and am excited for what the future has to offer.”

Since completing his doctoral degree, Hodinka has moved back to the United States where he spends his time wrapping up a few lingering projects from his time at SFU. Hodinka is preparing to start a postdoctoral fellowship in Chris Templeton's lab at Western Washington University, in Bellingham.