Neuroethology research on mutant and wild-type strains of the worm C. elegans. The investigation integrates genetic and behavioral approaches in order to articulate the function of electrical coupling in glial-like cells (GLR cells) and their role in movement control.

I conduct ethnobiological research under Dr. Mario Muscedere. My current project is an exploration of ant social behaviors entitled, "Behavioral flexibility of brood care task performance in majors of ant type Pheidole dentata." A brief abstract is provided below. SURF funded research in our laboratory has sought to expand on existing research about subcaste ratios by looking at the relationships between brood care efficiency, task demand, and the mechanisms through which flexibility is made possible. Ana Poole has found that brood care efficiency is negatively impacted when the ratio of majors to minors is increased. Further, there is a significant time lag before the majors improve task performance and reach a stable level. While this research improves our understanding of behavioral flexibility, there is room to explore the mechanism for such plasticity and the reason why time is needed for the adjustment to occur, which is the aim of this project.