Pauline Fleischmann
Universität Oldenburg
Unravelling the nature of the magnetic sense in the Bogong moth (Agrotis infusa), a nocturnal long-distance navigator

Pauline N. Fleischmann is a CRC Research Group Fellow associated with the Collaborative Research Center 1372 “Magnetoreception and navigation in vertebrates: from biophysics to brain and behavior” at the University of Oldenburg since 2022 and interested in insect navigation and magnetoreception. We aim to understand where the magnetic sensors in insects are located and how they function; how insects process and integrate multimodal information in their brains; and how they make use of the magnetic sense for successful navigation. Our ultimate goal is to unveil the role of magnetoreception for spatial orientation in insects, and to characterize the sensory, neuronal and genetic mechanisms underlying this extraordinary behavior with regard to the respective ecological context. Our experiments take place both in the field and in the lab. We are passionate not only about research ourselves, but also about sparking excitement for science to students and the public.

Jessleen Kanwal
California Institute of Technology
Multisensory Predator Recognition and Defense Behavior in a Rove Beetle

Jess is a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Joe Parker's lab at the California Institute of Technology.  Her research focuses on how the nervous system processes multisensory information to facilitate complex interspecies interactions, using rove beetles.  Rove beetles (Staphylinidae) exhibit a wide array of symbiotic relationships, ranging from the use of chemical defenses to ward off ant predators to employing chemical camouflage to infiltrate ant colonies.  Using neuroethological and comparative approaches, Jess aims to deepen our understanding of how social cues are integrated in the brain to enable species recognition and drive the evolution of intricate behavioral interactions.  Beyond research, Jess enjoys leading science outreach workshops on the neuroscience of dance and learning different cultural dance forms in community.

Martha Daniel
University of Bristol
Behavioral ecology and visual navigation in mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda)

Martha is a PhD student in both the Ecology of Vision Group at the University of Bristol and the Ecological Neuroscience Group at Macquarie University. Though she has a strong background in marine biology and behavioral ecology, her research experience has been based in cognitive behavior and sensory neurobiology. Martha's PhD research explores the foraging and navigation behaviors of mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda), with the goal of describing how environmental visual cues influence navigation. By comparing field observations and laboratory experiments, she aims to show the relative priority of different sensory modalities as stomatopods move through their complex coastal habitats. Martha's interests outside of research include writing poetry, running, and listening to an eclectic CD collection.

Cynthia Chai
Columbia University
Proximate mechanisms underlying neurobehavioral divergence during speciation

Originally from Sarawak, Malaysian-Borneo, I am a Leon Levy Neuroscience Research Fellow at Columbia University in New York City. My interdisciplinary research program integrates approaches from molecular, systems, and evolutionary comparative neuroscience to study the neurogenetic basis of speciation. My research goal is to provide a mechanistic understanding of how nervous systems are adapted at the molecular and cellular levels across evolutionary timescales to produce emergent properties that enable animals to thrive in our dynamic biosphere. I received a BA in Neuroscience with a Mathematics minor from Mount Holyoke College and a PhD in Neurobiology from the California Institute of Technology. Outside of the lab, I enjoy volunteering for science outreach events, spending time with friends and family, and traveling to new places. 

Vikram Gadagkar: Female Songbirds and the Neuroethology of Mate Choice
Columbia University

Matteo Santon: The mesmerising display of the broadclub cuttlefish
University of Bristol

Sarah McKay Strobel: Effects of developmental stress on senses and cognition through growth-differentiation trade-offs
Utah State University

Clifford Harpole: Neural mechanisms for context-dependent vocal flexibility
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory