Research Team 4
Supervised by Benjamin Zemel
Office 115E
Have you ever wondered how animals communicate with sound?
My research team will investigate the neural mechanisms underlying vocal production in the songbird. We will be exploring neuronal cell-types in the zebra finch brain that are responsible for executing the complex and precise song these birds use for mating behaviors. By identifying the proteins and mRNA that facilitate electrical signaling in vocal-motor circuits, we can begin to understand how these circuits support learned vocalizations in both the adult brain and in the developing brain of juveniles during critical periods of learning. Students will have the opportunity to learn methods in song analysis, histology, biochemistry, and molecular biology.