A neuroethologist at heart, I strive to understand how nervous systems interact with the world and produce natural behaviours. During my PhD and Grass Fellowship, I asked how broadly used insecticides like neonicotinoids affect insects' ability to see motion, avoid collisions, and integrate visual cues. Now, as a postdoctoral researcher, I am switching gears to gain an understanding of how bumblebees and honeybees taste potentially harmful agrochemicals in nectar. To achieve this, I am using a combination of behavioural and electrophysiological techniques, and I hope to figure out just what bees find tasty (and what they don't!). This research will provide clues into how these important pollinators interact with their food, especially in deciding what foods to avoid, which may have implications for future agrochemical use and design.
Additional Affiliations
- Eric & Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellow
- Lecturer in Biology, Keble College
- Research Fellow, Wolfson College
