2023-24 New Faculty

I am a neurobiologist interested in how brains generate behavior. I study how evolution can tinker with neural circuits to lead to behavioral diversity across species. At Williams, my lab will investigate the evolution of vocal communication in Xenopus frogs using electrophysiology, genetic, and behavioral approaches to examine the neural basis of courtship call production and female auditory preferences. I completed my undergraduate education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where I studied the auditory system of songbirds and then went on to pursue my PhD at Columbia University where I began studying the neural circuits underlying frog vocalizations. For the past several years I have worked at Reed College in Portland, OR as a postdoc and most recently as a visiting assistant professor. I am excited about new adventures on the east coast and in my free time I enjoy cooking, growing vegetables and dahlias, ceramics, exploring outdoors and spending time with my partner and two cats.