

Research Interests:
I can't help but be absolutely enamored and fascinated with the feats of many animals. Whether it's the in-air acrobatics of bats and flycatchers, the hunting projectiles of archer fish, or the engineering prowess of many birds and web-weaving spiders, many species have evolved an incredible array of innate skills who's execution is dizzying and awe inspiring. Just how any of these is generated by the brain is exciting to consider, but, maybe a deeper question that rests below every one of these incredible behaviors is how these animals adapt their behaviors in continually changing and challenging circumstances?
I want to work on answering these types of question by asking two broader questions in neuroethology:
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How are innate behaviors generated by the brain?
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how can these innate-behavior circuits modify their activity to adapt behavior in changing environments?