People – Bell Lab

MEET THE LAB

ALISON M. BELL

Professor, Richard and margaret romano Professional Scholar

Leader, Gene Networks in Neural and Developmental Plasticity theme at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

Director, Kellner Center for Neurogenomics, Behavior and Society

Education and postdoc

BA History, Philosophy & Social Studies of Science &
Medicine, University of Chicago
PhD Population Biology, University of California, Davis AAUW Postdoctoral fellow, University of California, Davis NSF Postdoctoral fellow, University of Glasgow

AFFILIATIONS at the university of Illinois

Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior
Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology
Program in Neuroscience
Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation

alisonmb@illinois.edu

CURRENT MEMBERS

tina barbasch

Postdoc

My research combines theoretical, empirical, and molecular approaches to understand how and why parents provide costly parental care to their offspring. I am currently using sticklebacks, which exhibit natural variation among individuals and populations in parenting strategies, to investigate the mechanisms and evolution of how parents make decisions over care, courtship, and territory defense.
https://tinabarbasch.weebly.com

Victoria Farrar

Postdoc

I am broadly interested in the neuroendocrine and physiological mechanisms of parental care and reproduction, and how selection might shape those mechanisms. Currently, I am comparing neural hormone responsiveness and gonadal gene regulation in two stickleback populations that have recently diverged in their reproductive strategies.

Website: https://vsfarrar.github.io/

Colby Behrens

Postdoc

My research focuses on parental care and its underlying genetic mechanisms. To better understand the connection between genome and behavior I’m currently studying two stickleback populations that vary greatly in the level and type of care provided to their offspring.

Meghan MAcIEJewski

PHD Student
Evolution, Ecology and Behavior

My research is focused on two populations of stickleback (whites and commons) that differ dramatically in their levels of parental investment. I’m currently investigating the neural and hormonal mechanisms underlying these recently evolved differences in caregiving.

https://meghan-maciejewski.github.io

Kevin Neumann

Phd student, Program in Ecology, Evolution, and conservation

I am interested in the social and collective behavior of group-living organisms and how these behaviors can play a role in the response of populations to changing environmental conditions. I am currently working with a group of Alaskan lakes containing benthic and limnetic stickleback populations to determine if there is a relationship between social network structure and ecological niche. I am co-advised with Andy Suarez.

USAN DAN

PHD STUDENT, NEUROSCIENCE

I am broadly interested in the neural mechanisms behind social behaviour. My current research aims to use viral tools to elucidate how neuropeptides modulate both non-reproductive and reproductive social behaviours.

FACUNDO FERNANDEZ-DUQUE

Phd student, Program in Ecology, Evolution, and conservation

Parental care has evolved repeatedly across taxa and is typically vital for offspring survival. Yet, in rare cases, parental behavior has been secondarily lost. My research is looking at how multifunctional molecules are associated with the active performance and evolutionary loss of parental care. I am co-advised with Mark Hauber.

Meg tucker

Lab manager

I am an undergraduate studying biology at Parkland College, alongside my work on three independent research projects and participation in a global research project. Independent projects are focused on evolutionary divergence in age and behavior and are performed under the direction of doctoral candidate, Colby Behrens.