Tell us where you came from before UT and what you studied then?
Prior to coming to UT, I completed my Master’s at UCLA in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. During my Master’s, I worked with Dr. Peter Nonacs to examine whether colonies of Argentine ants learn and respond to risk when present along potential paths to food. Argentine ants are an invasive species that has been very successful in outcompeting other species as they form large ‘supercolonies’ and aggressively attack other insects. In particular, I examined how Argentine ants respond to the presence of live competitors vs. a noxious chemical cue when present along their foraging path. This work demonstrated that Argentine ant foragers assess and respond to information to effectively navigate and efficiently exploit their environment and showed how individual ants scale up to effective organizations to achieve vital objectives.
What got you interested in studying animal behavior and neuroscience?
As an undergrad, I really began developing my interest in studying animal behavior as I had the opportunity to study abroad in incredibly diverse and fascinating places such as Australia and the Galapagos Islands. These experiences helped me appreciate biological research outside the classroom and led me to examine animal behavior in a more systematic way. In particular, I chose a master’s program where I could conduct fieldwork and study social insects. For my PhD, I was then very interested in incorporating neuroscience and how the brain is involved in decision-making. My research at UT really allows me to examine the neural underpinnings of social behavior which has developed my interest in neuroscience and the questions I’m interested in investigating.
Left: a local Texas field site. Right: Emily conducting brain dissections.
Does Texas present a unique situation, challenge or benefit for your research?
Working at UT Austin has been very beneficial for my research. I have been fortunate to have access to a number of facilities, equipment, resources that have been monumental in the success of my work.
UT also has top-tier researchers that have been incredibly supportive and helped strengthen my research, including undergraduate researchers that I’ve worked with on a number of projects. Texas also presents a unique opportunity to examine environmental variability due to its north-south temperature and east-west precipitation gradients as well as the evident impacts of climate change. Working here has provided me the opportunity to work with native fish species surrounding UT to examine environmental variability. This work complements the rest of my dissertation research examining social interactions and decision-making.
How will being a Stengl-Wyer Fellow help advance your work?
I am incredibly thankful for the opportunities this fellowship provides. In particular, it has allowed me to better focus on my research questions and incorporate field work into my research more thoughtfully. It has also allowed me to explore techniques outside the original scope of my research to examine the neuromolecular processes underlying behavioral responses to environmental variability in Longear Sunfish. This research will help further our understanding of how species acclimate and adapt to changing environments and how animals might be able to deal with the consequences of climate change. This fellowship has also granted me to the freedom to focus on completing behavioral experiments and lab work and begin writing my dissertation. It has also allowed me to focus on presenting and receiving feedback on my findings at various conferences and workshops.
Cichlid fish brain samples.
Species: Astatotilapia burtoni
Where do you see your research agenda heading after UT?
My research broadly focuses on the neuromolecular mechanisms underlying animal interactions and decision-making. I have been fortunate to be able to study this topic in different and exciting ways throughout my academic career and hope to continue to ask research questions to study this. Throughout my time at UT, I have also gained experience teaching and mentoring students which I plan to continue after UT. In particular, my goal is to teach and conduct research at a small university in order to work closely with undergraduate students, be intentional about teaching and designing curriculum, and continue doing research that I find to be meaningful.
