Katie L. Willis

Katie L. Willis, PhD, is a Lecturer at the University of Oklahoma, affiliated with the School of Biological Sciences. She holds a PhD in Neuroscience & Cognitive Sciences from the University of Maryland and a BS in Zoology from the University of Oklahoma. Her research focuses on evolutionary neurobiology and neuroethology, particularly investigating sound localization mechanisms in turtles. As a full-time teaching faculty member, her work bridges experimental research and educational outreach, emphasizing reptile auditory systems and their evolutionary adaptations.

Dr. Willis’s research explores how turtles perceive and process sound, with studies on interaural time difference detection, underwater hearing specialization, and the anatomical basis of auditory processing in reptiles. Her publications analyze the functional morphology of middle ear cavities, comparative physiology of sensory systems across vertebrates, and the evolutionary implications of auditory adaptations in nonmammalian species.

Despite her active research contributions, no scientific awards or grants are explicitly listed in the provided materials. She collaborates on projects involving neuroethology, comparative neurobiology, and the integration of sensory systems in reptiles and amphibians. Her work frequently employs the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans) as a model organism to study auditory ecology and evolutionary neurobiology.