Johannes Spaethe is a PD Dr. (Privatdozent) and research group leader at the Chair of Zoology II (Behavioral Physiology & Sociobiology) at the University of Würzburg , Germany. His work integrates molecular genetics, neurobiology, and behavioral science to study insect sensory systems, particularly visual perception in bees. Academic Affiliation : Chair of Zoology II, Biocenter, University of Würzburg Research Focus : Evolution, function, and ecology of insect sensory systems Research projects include: Psychophysics of color vision in insects Eye development & molecular evolution of opsins Visual learning and memory formation Sensory basis of taste in bees He supervises PhD students Jonathan Heinze and Marielle Schleifer . Contact: johannes.spaethe@uni-wuerzburg.de
Gwen Lupfer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Alaska Anchorage, affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. Her career spans research, teaching, and administrative service. Education: Ph.D., M.S., and B.A. in Psychology from Kansas State University (2004, 2001, 1998). Teaching: Courses in Evolutionary Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, and Psychology of Learning. Service: Chair of multiple faculty search committees, member of institutional and departmental committees including the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (since 2005). Research Interests: Focus on impulsive behavior, social learning across species (rats, dwarf hamsters, domestic dogs), binge-eating mechanisms, and energy regulation disruptions. Her work integrates behavioral neuroscience with evolutionary perspectives. Grants: Secured $2500 (2014) for sucralose impact studies and $1500 (2005) for social learning research in dogs. Publications highlight cross-species behavioral analysis and translational implications for human health.
Tara Pisani Gareau serves as a Teaching Professor and Director of the Environmental Studies Program within the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Boston College. Her academic career is dedicated to integrating ecological principles into agricultural systems to foster sustainability and resilience against environmental challenges, with particular focus on climate change adaptation in specialty crop production. Her educational foundation includes a B.S. from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and both an M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Cruz. These advanced degrees underpin her expertise in environmental systems and sustainable agricultural practices, forming the basis for her interdisciplinary research approach. Dr. Pisani Gareau's research program centers on agroecology and sustainable food systems, specifically examining conservation biological control, pollination services, and climate-agriculture interactions. She investigates how farming practices can be optimized to reduce environmental externalities while maintaining productivity, with extensive fieldwork in cranberry bogs, California vegetable systems, and Pennsylvania forage operations. Her work bridges ecological science with social dimensions, analyzing grower networks and adaptation strategies through mixed-method approaches. Analysis of her publication record reveals consistent interdisciplinary investigation of social-ecological systems in agriculture, particularly regarding cranberry production under climate change. Key trends include examination of knowledge networks among growers, urban agriculture education models, soil management practices during organic transitions, and ecological pest control mechanisms. Her research frequently employs field experiments, social network analysis, and multivariate statistics to develop practical sustainability solutions for agricultural landscapes.
Dr. Gabrielle Davidson is a Post Doctoral Researcher at the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork (UCC), where she investigates cognitive evolution in avian species using wild great tits and corvids as model systems under Professor John Quinn's supervision. Her educational qualifications include: BSc in Zoology from University College London PhD in Experimental Psychology from the University of Cambridge (2014) Davidson specializes in the intersection of comparative psychology and behavioural ecology, examining how cognitive traits develop, function, and evolve in natural environments. Her work focuses on gaze sensitivity mechanisms in corvids, causal reasoning in Eurasian jays, and individual variation in cognitive abilities within wild bird populations. She employs rigorous field-based cognitive testing to explore how these traits influence foraging strategies, predator avoidance, nesting behaviors, and reproductive success, addressing fundamental questions about intelligence evolution in ecological contexts. Analysis of her publication record reveals a cohesive research trajectory centered on avian cognition, with dominant themes including gaze perception systems, microbiome-cognition interactions, evolutionary drivers of visual signaling, and methodological innovations in measuring behavioral consistency. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges ethology, evolutionary biology, and cognitive neuroscience, frequently utilizing passerine and corvid species to model cognitive processes relevant to broader biological and psychological principles. Davidson actively participates in the UCC Ornithology Research Group and maintains significant public engagement through collaborations with BBC documentaries, National Geographic features, and presentations to ornithological societies. Her science communication efforts translate complex cognitive research for diverse audiences, highlighting real-world applications of animal behavior studies.
J. Michael Moore is an Instructional Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering at Texas A&M University, part of the College of Engineering. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from Texas A&M (2007) and has extensive teaching experience in courses like Human-Computer Interaction and Accessible Computing. His research focuses on HCI, software design, accessibility, and digital libraries, with notable work on design exploration and document triage systems. Education includes a B.S. in Biochemistry from Texas A&M (1991) and an M.S. in Computer Science from Texas State University (1997). He has authored over 20 peer-reviewed publications and has been recognized with awards such as the 2014 Mentoring Award and the Guseman Award (2002). Moore also contributes to professional service roles, including advising student organizations like DeAF and OSTEM. Teaching: Over 20 years of instruction in programming, HCI, and accessible computing. Research: Specializes in HCI, accessibility, and collaborative design tools. Service: Serves on committees for diversity initiatives and professional networks. His work integrates technical innovation with user-centered design principles, emphasizing accessibility and inclusive computing practices.
Dr. Karolina Taczanowska is a Polish-Austrian academic at BOKU Vienna, specializing in sustainable tourism and human spatial behavior in recreational landscapes. As Senior Scientist at the Institute for Landscape Development, Recreation and Conservation Planning since 2020 (and Research Associate 2006-2020), her work bridges digital transformation with nature-based recreation through advanced GIS and spatial analysis. 2023: Habilitated in Landscape Planning with 'Human Behaviour in Recreational Landscapes' 2009: PhD from BOKU Vienna 2006: Bertha von Suttner scholarship for postdoctoral research Research focuses on sustainable tourism , smart recreation systems , and human-plant interactions , using cutting-edge methods like GNSS tracking, big data analysis, and participatory GIS. Her 2024 work on wild food foraging in cities and 2023 BOKU Sustainability Award highlight contributions to urban-nature relationships. Key publication themes include recreational behavior during pandemic , digital mobility analysis , and forest recreation monitoring . Active in international conferences (Ethnobotany 2025, EGU 2017) and reviewer for 12+ journals including Landscape and Urban Planning and Urban Forestry & Urban Greening . Scientific recognitions: 4 poster awards (2006-2012) and 2023 top sustainability education award. Supervised 8 master's theses on topics from mobile data analysis to pandemic impacts on green space usage.
Jonathan D Victor is Professor of Computational Neuroscience in Computational Biomedicine at the Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Professor of Neuroscience at the Brain and Mind Research Institute, and Fred Plum Professor of Neurology within the Department of Neurology at Weill Cornell Medical College (Cornell University). He serves as an Attending Neurologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and directs the Division of Systems Neurology and Neuroscience. His educational background includes: B.A. from Harvard University (1973) Ph.D. in Neurophysiology from The Rockefeller University (1979) M.D. from Cornell University Medical College (1980) Victor's research integrates computational neuroscience with clinical neurology, focusing on neural coding in sensory systems (vision, taste, smell), disorders of consciousness, and eye movement dynamics. He employs information theory, statistical modeling, and electrophysiology to decode how the brain processes natural stimuli and recovers from injury, with emphasis on perceptual spaces and neural network signatures. Analysis of his 2023-2025 publications reveals three dominant trends: computational modeling of sensory-motor transformations in natural behaviors (e.g., Drosophila locomotion), geometric frameworks for perceptual spaces (visual texture, depth processing), and EEG-based biomarkers for traumatic brain injury recovery (alpha coherence, thalamic stimulation). No scientific awards were explicitly documented in the source material. He secures major NIH/Foundation grants as Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator, including National Eye Institute projects on fixational eye movements (2022-2026), James S. McDonnell Foundation's Covid-19 consciousness recovery consortium (2020-2025), and National Cancer Institute's NeuroNex olfactory behavior study (2020-2026). These fund translational work bridging neural coding theory with clinical applications. Victor leads the Division of Systems Neurology and Neuroscience, leveraging collaborations with Weill Cornell's Brain and Mind Research Institute and Institute for Computational Biomedicine. His external relationships include consulting for Elsevier and Springer Science and Business Media on scientific publishing and data analysis.
Dr. Yanjun Liu serves as a Research Fellow at the School of Psychology, University of New South Wales (UNSW), employing empirical and computational modeling approaches to investigate multi-dimensional decision-making processes and their interactions with cognitive mechanisms like learning. Her research spans visual search, categorization, preference construction, multi-attribute decision-making, and risky choices, with recent focus on how early-formed false beliefs influence subsequent decisions. Key methodological frameworks include general recognition theory and systems factorial technology for analyzing dimensional dependencies in perceptual judgments. Dr. Liu completed her PhD in Cognitive Psychology under Dr. James T. Townsend at Indiana University Bloomington, complemented by a Master in Applied Statistics. Her undergraduate training (summa cum laude) combined Psychology and Mathematics-Economics at Indiana University, where she began cognitive modeling research in Dr. Jerome Busemeyer's decision-making lab. Current research pillars include: Cognitive Principles of Multi-dimensional Processes Inter-stage Relationships in Multi-stage Decision-making Experience-Driven Preference Construction Risk-sensitivity in Hybrid Foraging Notable contributions reveal parallel cognitive processing in dimensional dependencies, selective influence violations in decision interference, stable preference formation through experience, and risk-averse foraging strategies in medical image screening contexts.
Marco Dadda is an Associate Professor at the Department of General Psychology, University of Padova. His research focuses on the evolution of behavioral asymmetries and lateralized brain functions in vertebrates, alongside studies on animal cognition. He investigates mechanisms underlying perception, learning, and decision-making in species like zebrafish, guppies, and plants. Key interests include lateralization costs/benefits, numerical cognition in fish, and environmental enrichment effects. Research highlights include groundbreaking work on plant communication via volatile compounds and perceptual completion in pea plants. His studies on zebrafish explore early learning, anxiety modulation through environmental factors, and operant conditioning methodologies. He also examines laterality's role in spatial navigation and simultaneous task performance across species. Publications consistently bridge behavioral biology with neuroethology, emphasizing cross-species comparisons (e.g., plant-fish cognition parallels). Ongoing work investigates how developmental experiences (light exposure, predation cues) shape lateralization patterns and cognitive capabilities. His lab employs innovative tools like automated behavioral tracking systems and minimally invasive testing protocols for neonatal fish.
Natasha Robinson is a Research Fellow at the Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University. Her work focuses on fire ecology, threatened species management, and conservation biology. She holds a PhD from La Trobe University (2014) and a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Honours) from the University of Queensland (2004). Research Interests: Fire Ecology and Management Threatened Species Monitoring Adaptive Management Strategies Conservation Biology Reintroduction Biology Recent publications highlight her expertise in mammal behavior, predator-prey dynamics, and genomic studies of endangered species. She collaborates widely, including with the NSW Department of Climate Change and CSIRO Publishing, where she serves as an Associate Editor of Wildlife Research . Her projects integrate fire and predator management to conserve threatened species, emphasizing evidence-based approaches to biodiversity protection.
Dr. Ivan Tacey is a Lecturer in Sociology, Criminology and Anthropology at the School of Society and Culture (University of Plymouth, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business). His research focuses on Indigenous lifeways, environmental change, animism, and decolonizing methodologies, with 20 years of ethnographic work with the Batek hunter-gatherers of Malaysia. He emphasizes participatory research and creative co-production, blending anthropology with art, science, and storytelling. Teaching includes modules on decolonizing social sciences, anthropology of truth, and brave new worlds. Current projects include a Sustainable Earth Institute-funded initiative on climate change narratives with Indigenous artists, and a Canadian-funded study on health in Orang Asli 'breakaway' communities. He collaborates internationally with institutions like the University of Calgary and Universiti Malaya. His work addresses environmental justice, myth/ritual's societal role, and interdisciplinary approaches to Indigenous agency. He also leads a graphic novel project translating anthropological theories into visual narratives.
Manuela Waldner is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Graphics at Technische Universität Wien (TU Wien). Her research focuses on visual data exploration, human-computer interaction, and immersive analytics. She leads projects like 'Visual Analytics and Computer Vision meet Cultural Heritage' (FWF doc.funds.connect) and 'Joint Human-Machine Data Exploration' (FWF). She teaches courses including 'Computer Graphics', 'Information Visualization', and 'Visual Research Methods'. Awards include the Best Paper Award at EuroVA 2024. Her work spans medical visualization, VR navigation, and bias analysis in AI models. She advises numerous PhD and Master's students, contributing to 43+ publications.
Dr. Nicholas E. Newton-Fisher is a Reader in Evolutionary Anthropology (Primate Behaviour) at the University of Kent's School of Anthropology and Conservation. He specializes in wild chimpanzee behavior and ecology, with over two decades of fieldwork in Uganda's Budongo Forest. His research focuses on cooperation, decision-making, and strategic aggression in primate societies. He holds editorial roles at Animal Behaviour and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Education: BSc (Hons) Zoology, University of Bristol PhD from the University of Cambridge (study of Budongo Forest chimpanzees) Research Interests: Dr. Newton-Fisher explores chimpanzee social structures, foraging strategies, infanticide dynamics, and the evolution of cooperation. He employs innovative methods like infrared thermography and Elo-ratings to model dominance hierarchies. His work bridges field ecology, behavioral analysis, and evolutionary theory. Publications: His recent work examines thermographic emotion studies in macaques, foraging decision-making in chimpanzees, and kinship recognition across species. These studies highlight interdisciplinary approaches to primate behavior. Awards & Media: A frequent media commentator on primatology, he has contributed to BBC Radio 4's Today and National Geographic. His iPhone app Animal Behaviour Pro aids observational data logging. Supervision & Grants: He mentors PhD students globally, focusing on projects merging theoretical frameworks with field observations. Notable supervisees include researchers studying chimpanzee infanticide, macaque communication, and gorilla reproductive competition. Labs & Collaborations: Associated with the Budongo Conservation Field Station (BCFS) and the Primate Society of Great Britain. His work integrates conservation, education, and public engagement in primatology.
Professor Sam Wass is a developmental cognitive neuroscientist at the University of East London (UEL), holding the position of Director of the Institute for the Science of Early Years and Youth (ISEY). His research focuses on how early life environments and caregiver interactions influence attention and stress regulation in infants and young children. He leads the BabyDevLab, funded by the European Research Council and UK research councils, exploring naturalistic observational methods to study developmental dynamics. Wass is also active in science communication, appearing in media across TV, radio, and print, and collaborates with organizations like Lego and Public Health England. His work emphasizes the interplay between physiological arousal and cognitive control, challenging traditional allostatic models with dynamic systems perspectives. Education details are not explicitly mentioned, but his academic roles and research indicate advanced training in psychology and neuroscience. His research integrates EEG hyperscanning, physiological measurements, and behavioral observations to understand coregulation processes. He has pioneered studies on attentional foraging, arousal dynamics, and the impact of environmental complexity. Wass co-founded Nest Kids, offering training for early years practitioners. His interdisciplinary approach addresses real-world challenges, such as urban school environments and caregiver-infant interaction dynamics. Research interests include attention control, arousal regulation, early developmental environments, and the application of non-linear dynamics (e.g., attractor basins) to model self-regulatory processes. He critiques simplistic homeostatic models, highlighting 'sticky' states in arousal dynamics. Media engagements include appearances on BBC, ITV, and Channel 4, as well as roles in public campaigns and documentaries like The Secret Life of 4- to 6-Year-Olds . His funded projects include studies on attention training interventions for infants at risk of ADHD (INTERSTAARS trial) and environmental stressors' effects. Grants and collaborations span multiple disciplines, reflecting his emphasis on translational research. Wass's lab, ISEY, is based in East London's socioeconomically diverse area, emphasizing community-relevant research.
Erin Isbilen is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Child Study Center (Yale School of Medicine), where she investigates how domain-general cognitive mechanisms underpin sophisticated linguistic behaviors. Her research spans word learning , sentence processing , and reading development in pre-literate and early-literate children. PhD in Cognitive Science, Cornell University NSF GRFP recipient for dissertation on statistical learning NIH K99-funded work on neural markers of statistical learning Her research employs advanced methodologies including EEG frequency tagging and longitudinal studies to uncover predictors of reading readiness. Collaborations include the LLAMB Lab (Yale) and interdisciplinary teams integrating systems immunology and quantitative biology . Scientific Contributions: Published key findings on orthographic positional biases , chunking mechanisms , and emotional mediation in cross-modal associations . Her meta-analysis on 25 years of statistical learning research has become a foundational reference. Key Awards: Cognitive Science Society’s Glushko Dissertation Prize (2023) NIH K99 Pathway to Independence Grant NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
