Research/Creative Interests

My research explores the question: What makes animals form and maintain social bonds? I investigate how hormones, neurobiology, behavior, and environmental conditions interact to shape social relationships in amphibians and reptiles, particularly in natural and changing environments. Students in my lab have opportunities to participate in research from the field to the laboratory, using behavioral, ecological, physiological, and quantitative approaches to answer questions about animal sociality.

What types of “data” do you commonly use?

My research uses a variety of data collected in both field and laboratory settings, including behavioral observations, population surveys, capture-mark-recapture data, environmental measurements, and hormone concentrations. I commonly analyze longitudinal and repeated-measures data and use statistical modeling, including multilevel/mixed-effects models, to understand how individual characteristics and environmental conditions influence behavior, physiology, and population dynamics.

What types of collaborations are you open to?

I am excited to collaborate with undergraduate students, faculty, and staff interested in animal behavior, ecology, neuroscience, physiology, psychology, environmental science, or quantitative biology. I am particularly interested in interdisciplinary projects examining how environmental change influences animal behavior, physiology, and population dynamics. Potential collaborations could include field-based studies of local amphibians and reptiles, behavioral experiments, physiological or hormone analyses, quantitative/statistical projects, and projects that connect biological research with environmental or social questions. I am also interested in developing collaborations with researchers studying social behavior in other taxa, including opportunities to compare sociality across species and environments. Longer term, I am interested in international collaborations involving herpetofauna and behavioral endocrinology, including my ongoing connections with researchers at Flinders University in Australia.

What agencies, organizations, or foundations do you have experience with to apply for grants?

  • Fulbright
  • NSF
  • NIH

Student Qualifications

  • Open to students from Biology, Psychology, Neuroscience, Environmental Studies, and related majors, as well as students from other disciplines with an interest in my research
  • Students with an interest in animal behavior, ecology, physiology, neuroscience, psychology, or environmental change are encouraged to apply
  • No prior research experience is required; students will receive training in field, laboratory, and quantitative research methods
  • I value curiosity, reliability, enthusiasm for learning, and a willingness to work collaboratively
  • Students from historically marginalized and/or underrepresented backgrounds in STEM are especially encouraged to apply. I am committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive lab environment where all students can thrive.

More Information

My goal is for students to fully experience what it is like to be a scientist. Students in my lab can develop their own research questions and participate in projects at the intersection of animal behavior, ecology, neuroscience, and physiology. Research may involve working with local amphibians and reptiles in the field, conducting behavioral experiments, measuring hormones in the laboratory, or analyzing longitudinal and environmental data. I am committed to mentoring students through the entire research process, from developing a question to presenting their findings at a conference or contributing to a publication. I am also interested in developing opportunities for students to participate in international research experiences, including potential collaborations with researchers studying social behavior and behavioral endocrinology at Flinders University in Australia.

Interested? Email me to set up a meeting.