معرفی
Melissa Burns-Cusato is the H.W. Stodghill, Jr. and Adele H. Stodghill Professor of Neuroscience at Centre College, where she has been a faculty member since 2006. She is affiliated with the Department of Neuroscience within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and has been recognized as a Centre Scholar and recipient of the Kirk Teaching Award.
Her educational background includes a BS in animal behavior from Southwestern University and a PhD in behavioral neuroscience from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to joining Centre, she taught at Texas Christian University and completed postdoctoral research in neuroscience at the University of Virginia.
Dr. Burns-Cusato's research centers on behavioral neuroscience, particularly the neurobiological mechanisms underlying monogamous pair bonding, nesting behavior, and antiparasitic strategies in birds. She also conducts field research on Caribbean green monkeys in Barbados, focusing on ancestral fear responses and cognitive persistence after long-term isolation. Additional studies involve elephants, sloths, and bears at the Louisville Zoo, examining stress physiology and behavior.
Her recent publications reveal a strong trend in ethological neuroscience, blending laboratory and naturalistic approaches. Themes include hormonal regulation of behavior, evolutionary memory, predator recognition, and neurochemical control of social attachment. She frequently collaborates with undergraduate students, often publishing with them, and integrates field research into her teaching.
- Kirk Teaching Award (2018)
- Centre Scholar (2010)
- H.W. Stodghill, Jr. and Adele H. Stodghill Professorship
Dr. Burns-Cusato actively mentors undergraduate researchers, involving them in publishable work both domestically and internationally. Her research has been supported through institutional funding and academic programs enabling fieldwork in Barbados. She teaches a wide range of neuroscience courses, from introductory to advanced topics, including neuropharmacology, clinical neuroscience, and field research immersion.
She leads research teams involving students in projects on dove behavior, primate cognition, and zoo animal physiology. Her lab combines behavioral observation, endocrine assays, and neuropharmacological techniques, fostering a multidisciplinary approach to understanding brain-behavior relationships.
