How do carnivores process sensory information about their environment? Which senses do they use for navigation? Which cues are important in social recognition?

How do individuals share and receive information?

What benefits do species derive from sociality and what determines group size? What are the functions of social learning? Under what conditions do animals learn from conspecifics?

I am a PhD candidate in the lab of Dr. Terrie Williams. I am interested in the intersection between animal behavior, physiology, and conservation. Specifically, I am interested in how sociality relates to stress, and how a deeper understanding of an animal’s social needs may improve conservation interventions. Drawing from disparate areas of study, including field biology, social network analysis, genomics, and stress physiology, I hope to understand how social affiliations and antagonisms contribute to health and fitness outcomes in the context of natural and anthropogenic stressors.