Principal Investigator
Michael Sheehan
Associate Professor
Directory of Graduate Studies (Neurobiology and Behavior)
Director of Liddell Field Station
Nancy and Peter Meinig Family Investigator in the Life Sciences
[email protected]
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, neuroscience
Study organisms: Paper wasps, house mice
Michael Sheehan
Associate Professor
Directory of Graduate Studies (Neurobiology and Behavior)
Director of Liddell Field Station
Nancy and Peter Meinig Family Investigator in the Life Sciences
[email protected]
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, neuroscience
Study organisms: Paper wasps, house mice
Klarman and NSF Postdoctoral Fellow
Matthew Zipple
[email protected]
personal website: http://matthewzipple.weebly.com/
Education:
B.A. & B.S. (2015) Biology & Political Sciences, UNC-Chapel Hill
Ph.D. (2021) Biology, Duke University
Research interests: All things aging!
Study organism: Baboons, birds, and house mice
Matthew Zipple
[email protected]
personal website: http://matthewzipple.weebly.com/
Education:
B.A. & B.S. (2015) Biology & Political Sciences, UNC-Chapel Hill
Ph.D. (2021) Biology, Duke University
Research interests: All things aging!
Study organism: Baboons, birds, and house mice
Postdoc
Colby Behrens
[email protected]
Education:
B.A. (2017) Biology and Animal Ecology, Iowa State
Ph.D. (2024) Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Research interests: Neural transcriptomics, genomics, social interactions
Study organism: paper wasps
Colby Behrens
[email protected]
Education:
B.A. (2017) Biology and Animal Ecology, Iowa State
Ph.D. (2024) Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Research interests: Neural transcriptomics, genomics, social interactions
Study organism: paper wasps
PhD Student
Ron Brown
[email protected]
Education:
B.S. (2007) Tufts University
Joined the lab in 2021
Research interests: Ron is interested in social insect biology, especially caste differences
Study organisms: paper wasps
Ron Brown
[email protected]
Education:
B.S. (2007) Tufts University
Joined the lab in 2021
Research interests: Ron is interested in social insect biology, especially caste differences
Study organisms: paper wasps
PhD Student
Cole Roland
[email protected]
Education:
B.A. Swarthmore
Joined the lab in 2024
Research interests: How social relationships influence other aspects of behavior
Study organisms: house mice
Cole Roland
[email protected]
Education:
B.A. Swarthmore
Joined the lab in 2024
Research interests: How social relationships influence other aspects of behavior
Study organisms: house mice
PhD Student
Lorenz Mammen
[email protected]
Education:
B.S. Biology (2022) and Math (2023) University of Tubingen
Joined the lab in 2024
Research interests: Visual system processing of social behavior
Study organisms: Paper wasps
Lorenz Mammen
[email protected]
Education:
B.S. Biology (2022) and Math (2023) University of Tubingen
Joined the lab in 2024
Research interests: Visual system processing of social behavior
Study organisms: Paper wasps
PhD Student
Yareli Alvarez (EEB with Corrie Moreau)
[email protected]
website
Education:
B.A. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Joined the lab in 2024
Research interests: How animal collectives address defense
Study organisms: paper wasps, ants
Yareli Alvarez (EEB with Corrie Moreau)
[email protected]
website
Education:
B.A. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Joined the lab in 2024
Research interests: How animal collectives address defense
Study organisms: paper wasps, ants
PhD Student
Abi Zuber
[email protected]
Education:
B.S. Biology and Neuroscience, Brandeis University
Joined the lab in 2025
Research interests: Evolution of social behavior and sensory integration
Study organisms: paper wasps, Hymenoptera
Abi Zuber
[email protected]
Education:
B.S. Biology and Neuroscience, Brandeis University
Joined the lab in 2025
Research interests: Evolution of social behavior and sensory integration
Study organisms: paper wasps, Hymenoptera
Lab Alumni
2018 - Sara Bluher (master's student)
2019 - Floria Uy (research associate) - Assistant Professor at University of Rochester
2020 - Russel Ligon (postdoc with Lab of Ornithology)
2022 - Alex Walton (joint postdoc with Toth lab at Iowa State) - Postdoc at University of Alberta
2022 - Sara Miller (NSF Fellow), Assistant Professor at UMSL
2022 - James Tumulty (postdoc), Assistant Professor at Rhodes College
2022 - Andrew Legan (PhD student), ORISE Fellow USDA, NSF fellow at Univ Arizona
2022 - Caitlin Miller (PhD student), Postdoc at UC San Diego
2024 - Caleb Vogt (PhD student), Postdoc at University of Colorado
2025 - Chris Jernigan (postdoc, NIH K99 Fellow) - Assistant Professor at Wake Forest
2018 - Sara Bluher (master's student)
2019 - Floria Uy (research associate) - Assistant Professor at University of Rochester
2020 - Russel Ligon (postdoc with Lab of Ornithology)
2022 - Alex Walton (joint postdoc with Toth lab at Iowa State) - Postdoc at University of Alberta
2022 - Sara Miller (NSF Fellow), Assistant Professor at UMSL
2022 - James Tumulty (postdoc), Assistant Professor at Rhodes College
2022 - Andrew Legan (PhD student), ORISE Fellow USDA, NSF fellow at Univ Arizona
2022 - Caitlin Miller (PhD student), Postdoc at UC San Diego
2024 - Caleb Vogt (PhD student), Postdoc at University of Colorado
2025 - Chris Jernigan (postdoc, NIH K99 Fellow) - Assistant Professor at Wake Forest
