Research
Curriculum Vitae
Below is an overview of some of my research. My dissertation was on
how birds perceive various acoustic features in their songs. However,
I have also done anatomical work on how the avian forebrain is
involved in song learning.
Brain Circuitry of Songbird Learning
The songbird brain has a specialized pathway used for song
learning, that is separate from the motor pathway used for vocal
production. This song learning circuit is termed the Anterior
Forebrain Pathway (schematized below). I studied the specific song nucleus LMAN, and how it
affects the sequencing of song syllables during early song
development.
Below is a link to the poster that I presented at the Society for
Neuroscience 2005 in Washington D.C.
Click for a larger view
Perception of acoustic cues in zebra finch song
Songs consist of brief bursts of sound (syllables) separated by
silence (intervals). Each syllable is unique in its acoustic
properties. Each syllable and interval in a song has a specific
duration that is consistent from song to song. In my experiments, I am
testing whether zebra finches can detect changes made to their song
motifs, and what types of changes are most easily
detected. I am specifically interested in two levels of timing in
zebra finch song: overall rhythm (temporal envelope cues) and changes that occur
over much smaller timescales within individual syllables (fine
structure cues). While both are important in the production of song,
are both equally salient to the birds when they listen to song?
In addition, I examined the relative salience of three fine structure
cues in song syllables: amplitude envelope (loudness), spectral
structure (pitch),and temporal fie structure (timbre).
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