Department of Biology

Research Strengths

Behavior

At Indiana University we have assembled a group of behavioral scientists whose cutting-edge research programs and commitment to training in animal behavior span multiple disciplines. Faculty are active in a broad range of exciting research areas, with major emphases on behavioral endocrinology, neuroethology, sensory processes, evolution and development, behavioral, ecology, social behavior and communication, and behavioral genetics. Students can explore a wide variety of research opportunities in both field and laboratory environments and employ a diverse array of vertebrate and invertebrate study systems. The strength of our group is our integrative, synthetic approach to the study of behavior. We believe that a complete understanding of behavior requires knowledge of the both the “why” and” how” of species-typical behavior, the means by which the environment influences the expression of behavior, and the physiological processes underlying behavior. Students and faculty are part of an interdepartmental network of resources, including the IU Research and Teaching Preserve, the Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, and the Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior (CISAB). CISAB maintains a common-use Animal Behavior Laboratory within the biology department where students have access to state-of-the-art training in molecular, genetic, and endocrine techniques. Students with strong research interests in the ultimate and proximate mechanisms of behavior are especially encouraged to apply for admission.