REU FACULTY PROJECTS
WHO WE ARE
JOSHUA
BENOIT
Research Interest:
Insect stress tolerance, hormonal regulation of metabolism, reproductive physiology
The Benoit lab studies the mechanisms underlying insect stress tolerance and dormancy, reproductive physiology, and regulation of metabolism; with a slant towards medically-important arthropods.
ELKE
BUSCHBECK
Research Interest:
Neuroethology: function and evolution of insect visual systems
The Buschbeck lab studies the function, development and evolution of invertebrate eyes.
JOSHUA
GROSS
Research Interest:
Molecular and genetic bases for cave adaptation; evolution and development
The Gross lab studies the genetic and developmental mechanisms that underlie morphological, sensory, physiological and behavioral evolution. We utilize a model system called the blind Mexican cavefish.
PATRICK
GUERRA
Research Interest:
Sensory ecology; orientation and navigation mechanisms; animal architecture
The Guerra lab studies how animals use sensory cues from their environment to move in time and space. Behavioral, physiological, and genetic approaches are used to understand the mechanisms and evolution of animal movement.
ELIZABETH
HOBSON
Research Interest:
Ecology and evolution of social complexity; cognitive ecology; social structure
The Hobson lab research focuses on social information: what animals know about their social worlds, how they come to know it, and what they do with that information.
JOHN
LAYNE
Research Interest:
Neuroethology; mechanisms of animal navigation
The Layne lab aims to discover how sense organs, and the neural processing of sensory information, mediate and constrain animal behavior.
STEPHEN
MATTER
Research Interest:
Ecology, meta-population, dispersal, migration, climate change, population, modeling, community
NATHAN
MOREHOUSE
Research Interest:
Visual and behavioral ecology, coevolutionary dynamics of reproductive traits
The Morehouse Lab studies the visual ecology and reproductive biology of insects and spiders. Research themes include the evolution of visual functions like color vision and gaze control, and more.
STEPHANIE
ROLLMANN
Research Interest:
Genetics and neurobiology of behavior, olfaction; chemical ecology
The Rollmann lab takes a multi-dimensional approach to understanding the genetic and neural underpinnings of chemical communication and behavior by combining behavioral, molecular genetic and neurophysiological approaches.
DIETER
VANDERELST
Research Interest:
Models of bat echolocation and flight control, robotic and computational models
The Vanderelst lab models echolocation based navigation, flight control and foraging in bats. The lab uses simulation methods, artificial sonar systems, and robots to study the sensorimotor loops underlying bat biosonar.
