Nora H Prior

Nora H Prior, PhD, is a Senior Research Associate in the Psychology Department at Cornell University, focusing on sensory systems, social behavior, and neurogenomics. Her research team explores avian behavioral neuroscience, with expertise in neuroendocrinology, bioacoustics, and comparative psychology.

• 2020-2021: Sessional Instructor & course designer, University of British Columbia
• 2018-2021: Postdoctoral Associate, Avian Behavioral Neuroscience Lab (University of Maryland)
• 2016-2018: Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Comparative and Evolutionary Biology of Hearing (University of Maryland)
• 2015: Postdoctoral Fellow, Neuroethology & Bioacoustics Lab (University of Lyon)
• 2009-2014: PhD Candidate (University of British Columbia)

Her research combines neuroendocrinology, bioacoustics, and behavioral ecology to study avian communication, pair bonding, and neurogenomic responses to environmental stressors. Key topics include:

• Acoustic fine structure in zebra finch communication
• Neuroendocrine regulation of monogamy and aggression
• Effects of water restriction on vocal behavior
• Differential gene expression in extreme physiological states
• Temporal processing of vocal sequences
• Perceptual limitations in avian cognition

While her publications span from 2010-2025, recent work emphasizes methodological rigor in neuroscience research, environmental impacts on brain development, and neurogenomic resilience in wild birds. Her 2025 paper on Science Democratization addresses systemic challenges in behavioral neuroscience.