My research interests include neurobiology, animal behavior, and comparative cognition. Specifically, I use songbirds as a model organism to examine neural mechanisms and corresponding behavioral processes associated with vocal communication.
Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Zoology, September 2015-current
Currently, I am a Michael Guyer Postdoctoral Fellow conducting research in Dr. Lauren V. Riters’ laboratory in the Department of Zoology at UW-Madison. I am examining basic neural reward mechanisms in appropriate communication and social behavior using songbirds as a model system.
PhD – University of Alberta, Department of Psychology, 2015
I completed my PhD in Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Christopher B. Sturdy in the Songbird Neuroethology Lab. My thesis was titled: “Information contained within a simple acoustic signal: The fee-bee song of the black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus).”
MSc – Northern Michigan University, Department of Psychology, 2010
I completed my MSc in Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Paul T. Andronis. My thesis was titled: “Headbanging by pigeons: A systematic replication and extension of an animal model of psychopathology.”
I was awarded the “Outstanding Graduating Graduate Student in Psychology Award” for 2010-2011 from Northern Michigan University.
BA – Northern Michigan University, Zoology & Psychology, 2008
Cum Laude
Honors Program