Principal Investigator
Dr. Aimee Sue Dunlap
Associate Professor
Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution & Behavior, University of Minnesota, 2009
M.S. in Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, 2002
B.S., B.A. in Biology, History, & English, University of Memphis, 2000
Partial B.S. studies, University of Helsinki, 1996-98
Office: 204 Stadler
Email: aimee.dunlap@umsl.edu
Twitter: @msaimeesue
orcid.org/0000-0003-2429-5758Graduate Students
Michael Austin
M.S. Student
B.S. in Biology, University of Missouri, St. Louis, 2017
Research Interests: evolution of learning and the economics of decision making
Office: 111 Stadler
Rachel Brant
Ph.D. Candidate
B.S. in Biology, Saint Louis University, 2016, M.S. in Biology, Saint Louis University, 2018
Research Interests: urban ecology, bee behavior, bee taxonomy, social insects, pollination biology
Office: 202 Stadler
Email: rabdxd@mail.umsl.edu
Andreia Figueiredo
Ph.D. Candidate
B.S. in Biology, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, Brazil, 2014
M.B.A. in Project Management – Escola de Negocios Excellence, Brazil
Research Interests: cognitive ecology, social behavior, orchid bee biology, pollination biology, social information, conservation
Office: 202 Stadler
Email: aqtpb@mail.umsl.edu
Jeremy Howard
Ph.D. Student
B.S. in Biology, Juniata College, 2015
M.S. in Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 2019
Research interests: spatial behavior, spatial cognition, memory, navigation, learning, science and media
Office:
Email: jh5ym@umsystem.edu
Jill Lee
M.S. student
B.S. in Animal Science, Missouri State University, 2017
Research Interests: interactions between innate bias and learning
Office: 111 Stadler
Undergraduate Students & Post-Bacc Researchers
- Marissa Antrainer, patch use in flies and producer-scrounger games in bees
- Taylor Bayless, orchid bee color learning
- Rasheena Clarke, producer-scrounger games in bees and orchid bee color learning
- Owen Ireton, competition between native bees and honey bees
- Stephanie McDonald, producer-scrounger games in bees
Lab Alumni: Grad Students and Post Doc
Ben Abts
M.S. in 2016
B.S. in Biology, Culver-Stockton College, 2010
Thesis: Forgetting and the value of information
Ben is now working in science education.
Dr. Matthew Austin
Ph.D. in 2020
B.S. in Biological Sciences, University of Missouri – Columbia, 2014
Dissertation: The role of plasticity in bumble bee responses to environmental variability
Matt is now a postdoctoral fellow with the Living Earth Collaborative, working with the Missouri Botanic Gardens and Washington University.
Pablo Iturralde
M.S. in 2018, co-advised with Wendy Olivas
Bachelor in interdisciplinary studies (Chemistry, Management & Anthropology), University of Missouri, St. Louis, 2013
A.A. in business management, Miami Dade College, 2004
Thesis: Transcriptomics of learning
Pablo is now a PhD candidate at Brown University.
Dr. Priya Maharaj
Ph.D. in 2016, co-advised with Godfrey Bourne
M.S. in Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Warwick, 2011
B.Sc. in Biology, University of Guyana, 2005
Dissertation: Color-mediated foraging by pollinators: A comparative study of two passionflower butterflies at Lantana camara
Priya is now the Director, Centre for Study of Biological Diversity, University of Guyana.
Mellissa Marcus
M.S. in 2016
B.S. in Biochemistry/Biotechnology, University of Missouri- St. Louis, 2012
Thesis: Experimental evolution of color preference in Drosophila melanogaster
Mellissa is now working as a lab tech in the St. Louis area.
Itachi Mills
M.S. in 2017
B.S. in Fisheries & Wildlife, University of Minnesota- Twin Cities, 2012
Thesis: The ecology of fear: a fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) perspective
Itachi is now working in the St. Louis area as a lab tech while continuing research on flies.
Dr. Isabel Rojas-Ferrer
M.S. in 2016
Thesis: Predicting choices in bumblebees (Bombus impatiens): learning rules and the two-armed bandit
Isabel has recently received her PhD at University of Ottawa.
Mladen Senicar
M.S. in 2019
B.S. in Biology, University of Missouri, St. Louis, 2017
Research: brain gene expression in experimentally evolved Drosophila
Dr. Nancy Kohn
Postdoc, 2012-2014
Nancy is now an Assistant Professor at Cottey College, Nevada, MO.
Undergraduate Alumni
Independent Research Credit Students and Research Assistants (Students working on thesis or extensive capstone projects denoted with *)
Jean Adkins (2013-2014), Dannice Alexander* (2019-2020), May Allgire (2014-2015), Moses Alshimary (2019-2020), Keeandra Archambault (2017), Michael Austin* (2015-2017), Randall Beck (2016), Charles Blanton (2018), Sharvitti Broussard (2019), Emanda Brown (2013), Michaela Browne (2019), Evan Carlen (2019), Binisha Chhetri (2018), Amanda Corrado* (2013-2015), Jennifer Cosgrove (2012-2015), Magnus Creed (2016), Emily Cuttle (2017), Matthew Czarnecki (2012), Jessica Dean* (2012-2013), Rebecca Dickerson (2012), Misbah Faniad (2018), Sydnee Feldmann (2018), Hannah Franko* (2014-2016), Jenna Freund (2015), Harmeet Ghai (2020), Lilli Goldman (2018), Abigail Green (2012), Katelyn Hanners* (2019-2020), Alexandra Haselman (2017), Noreen Heyari (2017), Joshua Higgins (2013-2014), Victoria Hines (2017), Christina Hoffman* (2015-2016), Patricia Horack* (2013-2015), Hassan Hossayrami (2015), Kevin Huck (2016), Lynn Huffman (2016), Rula Ibraheem (2018), Maria Irving (2016), Kathryn Janssen (2014-2015), William Kannady (2014-2015), Sukvir Kaur (2017), Jacob Kottmier (2019), Candice Krull (2019-2020), Ezra Kruzich* (2020), Zachary Lindsay (2017), Safia Madani (2014-2016), Robyn Mahoney (2013-2015), Hilmo Malkic (2017-2018), Tian Manning* (2018-2020), Mellissa Marcus (2012-2013), Sierra McAlister (2018), Brooke McGlasson (2017), Rachel Milliot (2018), Brittany Minor* (2019-2020), Kristin Moseley (2014), Jake Mullen (2013), Melisa Muminovic (2018), Maria Nguyen (2016), Ki Baek Park (2017), Darshan Patel (2015), Raj Patel (2014), Sheilamae Paytocan (2013), Randall Perkins II (2017), Logan Philpott (2019), Olivia Ransin (2019), Melia Reeves-Long (2019), Joseph Rund (2015-2017), Jacob Ryno (2019-2020), Alaa Saffaf (2017), Youngsoo Shin (2019), Kunal Singh (2018), Caitlyn Smith (2015), Emina Spahic (2018), Carly Spielberg (2019-2020), Lynnsey Street* (2016-2017), Lauren Szyhowski (2016), Merhawit Teame (2017), Adam Thompson (2015-2017), Dana Townsend (2013-2014), Sahil Vaid (2019), Tyler Wagner (2017), Katherine West* (2015-2017), Stephanie Wooten (2014), Sarah Wyne (2015), Marisa Yoder (2013-2014)
Summer High School Student Alumni
From Jennings High School
Nikita Allen (2018), Shivaunye Ivy (2015), Mya McClain (2017), Marniesha Perry (2016), Kyrnn Peoples (2017), Cameron Stith (2016), Kaylan Waters (2018), Amoni White (2018)
From the Students and Teachers as Research Scientists (STARS) Program
Della Cox (2017, University City HS, University of Missouri, Columbia), Sindhu Bala (2019, Lindbergh HS), Amanda Crawford (2014, Parkway North HS, Carleton College), Alexander Donovan (2017, Mary Institute & St. Louis County Day School, Stanford University), Bolatito Fatoki (2015, Whitfield School, Georgia Tech), Christopher Halen (2014, Whitfield School, Washington University), Laurie Lee (2017, Francis Howell HS, Washington & Lee University), Yushin Lee (2015-2016, Zumwalt North HS, Washington University), Kamau MuseMorris (2019-2020, Maplewood Richmond Heights HS), Alexandra Rice (2016-2017, Ladue High School, Princeton University), Lucas Shanker (2015, Parkway Central HS, Purdue University), Lily Sheets (2018, John Burroughs School), Adam Urish (2018, St. Louis Priory School, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign)
