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acoustic communication can serve multiple purposes, such as attracting mates and competing with neighbors. how senders produce different call patterns varies across species, within species, and even within males over time. how receivers process these call patterns varies depending on internal and external states that modulate auditory processing. my work explores the mechanisms that drive communication and the neural response to acoustic cues in treefrogs.
methods: bioacoustic analysis, in vivo neurophysiology, transcriptomics image credit: Dr. Jessie Tanner |
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auditory systems undergo drastic functional plasticity in development. during metamorphosis, frog species display a period of "transient deafness" where no neural activity is elicited from central auditory regions that regain function later on in development. my work examines how hormones and other neuromodulators drive such reorganization of peripheral and central auditory circuits over development.
methods: neuroanatomy, HCR, transcriptomics |
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behavior is generated by neural circuits that integrate environmental cues with internal states over time. this basic idea drives behavior across the animal kingdom, including in invertebrate species with seemingly "simple" nervous systems that coordinate complex movements. my work examines how sensory systems in ctenophores integrate internal states to drive behavior.
methods: behavioral analysis, imaging video credit: Dr. Kei Jokura |
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group living animals use external cues to guide context-appropriate behavior. what are the neural circuits that coordinate the integration of sensory and social cues with internal states to drive decision making? my PhD work examined how dynamic social hierarchies influence behavior and its neural correlates in groups of cichlid fish.
methods: social network and behavioral analysis, IHC, qPCR |
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