Alison M Bell

Alison M Bell is a Professor in the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior and affiliated with the Neuroscience Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is also a Lowell Getz Scholar and holds affiliations with the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology and the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology.

• Education: BA (University of Chicago), PhD (University of California, Davis), Postdoc (University of Glasgow), Postdoc (University of California, Davis)

Her research focuses on understanding the proximate causes and ultimate consequences of individual differences in behavior, particularly through the lens of behavioral ecology and evolutionary biology. Her work often examines Threespine stickleback as a model organism, exploring topics like parental care, gene regulation, and oxytocin's role in social behaviors. Recent studies investigate how ecological pressures shape behavioral syndromes and transgenerational plasticity.

Her publications highlight trends in stickleback ecotype divergence, eco-evolutionary restoration experiments, and hormonal mechanisms in parental care. Collaborations span interdisciplinary teams at institutes like the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology and the Beckman Institute.

• Scientific Awards:
  • AAAS Fellow (2020)
  • Animal Behavior Society Fellow (2021)
  • American Academy of Arts and Sciences Member (2024)
  • Guggenheim Fellowship (2024)
  • New Investigator Award, Animal Behavior Society