معرفی
Andrew Barron is a Professor in the School of Natural Sciences at Macquarie University and Director of the Macquarie Minds and Intelligences Initiative. He specializes in neuroethology, focusing on the neural mechanisms of animal behavior, particularly in insects like honey bees. His research explores cognition, navigation, social behavior, and learning in insects, alongside efforts to improve honey bee health amid environmental stressors such as pesticides and climate change.
- Affiliations: Frontier AI Research Centre, Macquarie University
- External Roles: Australian Research Council Future Fellow (2015–2022), President of Australasian Society for the Study of Animal Behaviour (2012–2014)
Education:
- PhD in Zoology, University of Cambridge (1995–1999)
- First Class Honours in Natural Sciences, University of Cambridge (1992–1995)
Research Interests:
Barron’s work bridges neuroscience and ecology to understand animal cognition, model insect brain function, and address honey bee health crises. He investigates how insects process information and adapt to environmental pressures, with implications for conservation and artificial intelligence. Key projects include studying pesticide impacts on bee cognition and developing best practices for bee health technology.
Recent Articles: His recent work focuses on metallic pollution effects on bee brains, cognitive evolution across species, and foraging behavior under environmental stress. These studies highlight interdisciplinary approaches combining fieldwork with computational modeling.
- Awards: Australian Award for University Teaching (2012), Excellence in Research (2014)
Grants & Projects: Leads initiatives like ‘Protecting vulnerable Australian honey bees’ and collaborates on AI-natural intelligence comparisons. He has secured over AUD 6 million in research funding.
Labs/Teams: Heads the Barron Lab, focusing on neuroethology and applied pollinator research. Collaborates internationally on projects like the ‘Connectomic Revolution’ and ‘Swarm Architecture in Ants’.
