I have broad interests in cognitive and behavioural psychology. To date, my research has investigated how chemicals can affect decision-making processes in insect models. Currently, I am exploring how bees can develop and express addictive behaviours. Bees feed on floral nectar, and are exceptionally capable of learning to find, collect and store it. In turn, plants may gain reproductive benefit from conspecific pollen transfer. Some plants express drugs in their nectar (such as caffeine and nicotine) which could change the way nectar rewards are perceived, perhaps therefore influence foraging decisions and thus plant reproductive success. My project combines behavioural and chemical evidence to investigate whether plants have co-evolved psychoactive nectar to manipulate their pollinators.
