Principal Investigator
Michael Sheehan
Nancy and Peter Meinig Family Investigator in the Life Sciences, and Assistant Professor
msheehan@cornell.edu
Education:
B.A. (2005) Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania
Ph.D. (2012) Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan
NIH-NRSA Fellow: (2012-13) University of Arizona; (2013-15) UC Berkeley
Research interests: Recognition systems, social evolution, genome evolution, behavioral & evolutionary ecology
Study organisms: Paper wasps, house mice, humans
Michael Sheehan
Nancy and Peter Meinig Family Investigator in the Life Sciences, and Assistant Professor
msheehan@cornell.edu
Education:
B.A. (2005) Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania
Ph.D. (2012) Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan
NIH-NRSA Fellow: (2012-13) University of Arizona; (2013-15) UC Berkeley
Research interests: Recognition systems, social evolution, genome evolution, behavioral & evolutionary ecology
Study organisms: Paper wasps, house mice, humans
Research Associate
Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy
fmu3@cornell.edu
Personal webpage: http://tropbiolab.org/FMKU/
Education & Background:
B.A., University of Costa Rica
M.SC., University of Costa Rica
Ph.D. (2011), University of Miami
Lecturer (2013-2014), Research Assistant Professor (2014-2018): University of Miami
Joined the lab in June 2018
Research Interests: My research is focused on understanding the evolution of cooperation and the selective pressures that favor cooperative group living. I am particularly interested in understanding the relationship between brain and evolution of sociality in animals. To this end, I am exploring the neural basis of social behavior and individual recognition in paper wasps.
Study Organisms: Paper wasps, weaver ants, parasitoid wasps
Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy
fmu3@cornell.edu
Personal webpage: http://tropbiolab.org/FMKU/
Education & Background:
B.A., University of Costa Rica
M.SC., University of Costa Rica
Ph.D. (2011), University of Miami
Lecturer (2013-2014), Research Assistant Professor (2014-2018): University of Miami
Joined the lab in June 2018
Research Interests: My research is focused on understanding the evolution of cooperation and the selective pressures that favor cooperative group living. I am particularly interested in understanding the relationship between brain and evolution of sociality in animals. To this end, I am exploring the neural basis of social behavior and individual recognition in paper wasps.
Study Organisms: Paper wasps, weaver ants, parasitoid wasps
NSF Postdoctoral Fellow
Sara Miller
sem332@cornell.edu
Education:
B.A. University of Chicago
M.S. University of Missouri Saint Louis
Ph.D. (2016) University of British Columbia
Joined the lab in 2016
Research Interests: Understanding the role of biotic selection in adaptation, combining field experiments with genomics. Previous work examined adaptation to intraguild predation in sticklebacks as a PhD student with Dolph Schluter. Current work focuses on using population and comparative genomic approaches to understand adaptation and diversity in paper wasps.
Study Organisms: Paper wasps
Sara Miller
sem332@cornell.edu
Education:
B.A. University of Chicago
M.S. University of Missouri Saint Louis
Ph.D. (2016) University of British Columbia
Joined the lab in 2016
Research Interests: Understanding the role of biotic selection in adaptation, combining field experiments with genomics. Previous work examined adaptation to intraguild predation in sticklebacks as a PhD student with Dolph Schluter. Current work focuses on using population and comparative genomic approaches to understand adaptation and diversity in paper wasps.
Study Organisms: Paper wasps
Postdoctoral Researcher
Rusty Ligon
ral342@cornell.edu
personal webpage
Education:
B.A. Pomona College
M.S. Auburn University
Ph.D. (2015) Arizona State University
Joined the lab in 2017
Research Interests: Understanding the causes and consequences of complexity in animal signaling systems. Rusty's dissertation work examined signaling in color-changing chameleons with Kevin McGraw at ASU. He first came to Cornell as an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow to work on the unique collection on bird of paradise natural history recordings at the Macaulay Library at the Lab of Ornithology. He is currently working on projects to further examine complexity in animal signals in the extreme displays of birds of paradise and the territory marking and singing behavior of house mice, a tractable experimental system. This work is conducted jointly between the Sheehan Lab and the Lab of Ornithology.
Study Organisms: House mice, birds of paradise
Rusty Ligon
ral342@cornell.edu
personal webpage
Education:
B.A. Pomona College
M.S. Auburn University
Ph.D. (2015) Arizona State University
Joined the lab in 2017
Research Interests: Understanding the causes and consequences of complexity in animal signaling systems. Rusty's dissertation work examined signaling in color-changing chameleons with Kevin McGraw at ASU. He first came to Cornell as an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow to work on the unique collection on bird of paradise natural history recordings at the Macaulay Library at the Lab of Ornithology. He is currently working on projects to further examine complexity in animal signals in the extreme displays of birds of paradise and the territory marking and singing behavior of house mice, a tractable experimental system. This work is conducted jointly between the Sheehan Lab and the Lab of Ornithology.
Study Organisms: House mice, birds of paradise
Postdoctoral Researcher
Chris Jernigan
cmj92@cornell.edu
Education:
B.A. (2011) Biology & Chemistry, Butler University
Ph.D (2018) Animal Behavior, Arizona State University
Joined the lab in 2018
Research Interests: Understanding the interplay of phenotypic, behavioral, and neural plasticity. Chris’ dissertation work focused on how individual olfactory experience affects behavioral and neural responses to odors. His current work in the Sheehan lab focuses on understanding the neural and genomic mechanisms that give rise to individual signal recognition in paper wasps.
Study Organisms: Paper wasps, honey bees, stingless bees
Chris Jernigan
cmj92@cornell.edu
Education:
B.A. (2011) Biology & Chemistry, Butler University
Ph.D (2018) Animal Behavior, Arizona State University
Joined the lab in 2018
Research Interests: Understanding the interplay of phenotypic, behavioral, and neural plasticity. Chris’ dissertation work focused on how individual olfactory experience affects behavioral and neural responses to odors. His current work in the Sheehan lab focuses on understanding the neural and genomic mechanisms that give rise to individual signal recognition in paper wasps.
Study Organisms: Paper wasps, honey bees, stingless bees
Postdoctoral Researcher
Alexander Walton
aw826@cornell.edu
Education:
B.A. (2011) Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona
Ph.D. (2018) Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Iowa State University
Joined the lab in 2018
Research interests: Causes and consequences of behavioral variation in social groups, and the evolution and maintenance of cooperation. Currently working to develop the paper wasp Polistes fuscatus as a model organism for functional genomics.
Study organism: Paper wasps
Alexander Walton
aw826@cornell.edu
Education:
B.A. (2011) Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona
Ph.D. (2018) Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Iowa State University
Joined the lab in 2018
Research interests: Causes and consequences of behavioral variation in social groups, and the evolution and maintenance of cooperation. Currently working to develop the paper wasp Polistes fuscatus as a model organism for functional genomics.
Study organism: Paper wasps
Postdoctoral Researcher
James Tumulty
jt786@cornell.edu
personal website: jamestumulty.com
Education:
B.A. (2011) Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona
Ph.D. (2018) Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Iowa State University
Joined the lab in 2018
Research interests: Causes and consequences of behavioral variation in social groups, and the evolution and maintenance of cooperation. Currently working to develop the paper wasp Polistes fuscatus as a model organism for functional genomics.
Study organism: Paper wasps
James Tumulty
jt786@cornell.edu
personal website: jamestumulty.com
Education:
B.A. (2011) Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona
Ph.D. (2018) Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Iowa State University
Joined the lab in 2018
Research interests: Causes and consequences of behavioral variation in social groups, and the evolution and maintenance of cooperation. Currently working to develop the paper wasp Polistes fuscatus as a model organism for functional genomics.
Study organism: Paper wasps
PhD Student
Andrew Legan
awl75@cornell.edu
Education:
B.A. (2015) Biology, Vanderbilt University
Joined the lab in 2016
Research interests: I am fascinated by animal social behavior and the basic sensory mechanisms underlying social interactions. I am currently studying the genomic basis of chemosensation in paper wasps
Study organisms: Paper wasps
Andrew Legan
awl75@cornell.edu
Education:
B.A. (2015) Biology, Vanderbilt University
Joined the lab in 2016
Research interests: I am fascinated by animal social behavior and the basic sensory mechanisms underlying social interactions. I am currently studying the genomic basis of chemosensation in paper wasps
Study organisms: Paper wasps
PhD Student
Caitlin Miller
chm79@cornell.edu
Education:
B.A. (2014) Biology, Reed College
Joined the lab in 2016
Research interests: I’m interested in the genetic and neural basis of social behaviors. My research experiences have spanned a range of organisms and system levels, from studying baboon aggression in the wild to gene expression differences in astrocytes during neuronal maturation in cell culture. These experiences have driven me to be fascinated by the kinds of questions that you can ask at the intersection of behavior and neuroscience.
Study organisms: Mice
Caitlin Miller
chm79@cornell.edu
Education:
B.A. (2014) Biology, Reed College
Joined the lab in 2016
Research interests: I’m interested in the genetic and neural basis of social behaviors. My research experiences have spanned a range of organisms and system levels, from studying baboon aggression in the wild to gene expression differences in astrocytes during neuronal maturation in cell culture. These experiences have driven me to be fascinated by the kinds of questions that you can ask at the intersection of behavior and neuroscience.
Study organisms: Mice
PhD Student
Caleb Vogt
ccv26@cornell.edu
Education:
B.A. (2015) University of Michigan
Joined the lab in 2017
Research interests: Caleb is interested in integrating behavioral ecological and evolutionary approaches with neuroscience to understand how social behaviors are regulated. He is jointly advised with the Warden lab in NBB at Cornell.
Study organisms: Mice
Caleb Vogt
ccv26@cornell.edu
Education:
B.A. (2015) University of Michigan
Joined the lab in 2017
Research interests: Caleb is interested in integrating behavioral ecological and evolutionary approaches with neuroscience to understand how social behaviors are regulated. He is jointly advised with the Warden lab in NBB at Cornell.
Study organisms: Mice
Lab Alumni
2018 - Sara Bluher (master's student)
2018 - Sara Bluher (master's student)
