Andrea Megela Simmons

Andrea Megela Simmons is a Professor at Brown University in the Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences with a secondary appointment in the Department of Neuroscience. She is a member of the Carney Institute for Brain Science and serves as a Principal Investigator on an ONR MURI project.

• Education: A.B. from the University of Pennsylvania (1973), Ph.D. from Harvard University (1978), Postdoctoral research at Cornell University

Simmons specializes in cognitive and neural mechanisms of sound perception and communication across species including frogs, bats, dolphins, and humans. Her work bridges behavioral neuroscience, comparative neurology, and developmental studies to explore auditory processing, echolocation, and sensory integration.

Her recent publications highlight interdisciplinary trends in auditory neuroscience, focusing on sound exposure effects, metamorphic neurodevelopment, and sensory-motor coordination in cluttered environments. Key subfields include echolocation, lateral line function, tectal connectivity, and acoustic adaptation across species.

Scientific Awards:

• Fellow, Acoustical Society of America

Simmons has received grants from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) for MURI projects and has taught courses such as Animal Behavior, Evolution and Development of the Brain, and Auditory Perception Laboratory.