Sonke Johnsen

Sonke Johnsen is the Ida Stephens Owens Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biology at Duke University's Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, with additional appointments as Professor in the Division of Marine Science and Conservation at the Nicholas School of the Environment. He is also affiliated with the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences and the Duke Initiative for Science & Society.

His research program focuses on visual ecology, examining how animals interact with light in natural environments. The Johnsen Lab investigates bioluminescent signals underwater, visibility of aquatic animals, tissue ultrastructure and transparency, polarization vision, ultraviolet vision effects on predation, and optical sampling techniques for zooplankton. They also collaborate with Dr. Ken Lohmann at UNC on magnetoreception research.

Dr. Johnsen's recent publications reveal a strong focus on visual acuity across marine species, dynamic visual appearance, color signaling, and the interplay between light environments and animal behavior. His work spans from molecular mechanisms to ecological implications, showing particular interest in how visual systems have evolved to meet environmental challenges in aquatic habitats.

His research has been supported by significant grants from the International Human Frontier Science Program Organization, Air Force Research Laboratory, and University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill for projects on transparency in fish, visual acuity, and magnetoreception in marine animals.

Dr. Johnsen earned his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (1996) and his B.A. from Swarthmore College (1988). His interdisciplinary approach combines protein biochemistry, microscopy, behavioral studies, field techniques, and mathematical modeling to address fundamental questions in sensory biology.