Ryan Wong

Ryan Wong is an Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. He leads the Wong Lab, which is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH). His research focuses on the neuromolecular mechanisms underlying behavioral variation, particularly stress coping styles in animals, and their implications for learning, memory, and neuroendocrine responses. He actively recruits graduate students interested in this integrative research area.

Education:

• B.S. in Biology, Natural Resources, Ecology and Evolution, Cornell University (2005)
• Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Texas at Austin (2011)

Research Interests:

• Behavioral and molecular mechanisms of stress coping in zebrafish and cichlids
• Interactions between stress responses and cognitive processes (e.g., learning, memory)
• Neurogenomic and transcriptomic profiling of behavioral variation
• Role of oxidative stress and social status in brain function
• Application of bioinformatics to neurobehavioral studies

Awards:

• 2025 College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Outstanding Teacher Award
• 2023 Sophie and Feodora Kahn Professorship in Biology
• 2021 College of Arts and Sciences Research and Creative Activity Award

Funding:

• NSF CAREER award (2020–2025) for studies on stress coping and cognitive mechanisms
• UNMC grant (2023) on neuroendocrine oxidative stress regulation
• NSF MRI grant (2019–2022) for genomic research infrastructure
• NICHD grant (2017–2021) on neural mechanisms of stress coping

Lab and Service: Editor for Scientific Reports since 2019. Hosts the Wong Lab website for research updates and collaboration opportunities.