The Comparative Physiology and Behavior Focus Group is composed of faculty and graduate students broadly interested in organismal form and function. Research interests within the focus group span a wide range of physiological and structural problems, but emphasize the mechanistic basis of behavior and physiological ecology. The faculty specialize in the neurobiology of chemoreception (Silver), acoustic and chemical communication (Conner), functional morphology of locomotion (Ashley-Ross), physiological ecology of aquatic invertebrates (Dimock), neuroscience and social insects (Fahrbach), and circulatory physiology (Lane). Research projects involve animals ranging from insects and molluscs to all vertebrate groups.
The mission of the Comparative Physiology and Behavior program is to provide graduate students with a solid foundation in the variety of disciplines required to undertake successful teaching and research in modern organismal structure and function, and to prepare them for further study elsewhere. All graduate students in the CPB group are required to take the Foundations of Physiology course. This course provides an in-depth introduction to the laboratory techniques of the faculty members of the focus group. Several weeks are spent in each lab learning and applying these techniques to experimental problems, which culminate in an independent project presented to the class by each student. Graduate seminar discussion courses are also offered by the faculty; subjects are chosen according to current faculty and student interests. Recent seminars have focused on Animal Locomotion and Neuroethology. Upcoming topics include Bioacoustics, Genetic Influences on Physiology, Allometry and Scaling, and Energetics and Metabolism.
Links to Faculty Pages:
Dr. Miriam Ashley-Ross: Biomechanics of locomotion in vertebrates
Dr. William E. Conner: Insect chemical communication and bioacoustics
Dr. Ronald V. Dimock, Jr: Behavioral and physiological ecology of invertebrates
Dr. Susan E. Fahrbach: Neuroanatomy, nervous system physiology
Dr. Hugo C. Lane: Animal physiology
Dr. Wayne L. Silver: Neurophysiology of chemical sensing
We encourage you to visit the web site of our faculty and to contact them by e-mail if you have would like further information.
Click here to fill out an on-line graduate school application.
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