Advisory Board and Editors Animal Behavior
Darren Norris
Lecturer at the Federal University of Amapá, Brazil. My research interests are broad and are currently focused on the conservation of biodiversity and traditional livelihoods around waterways that traverse political (national and international), cultural and ecological boundaries. I am particularly interested in inter-disciplinary approaches, comprising population and community ecology, population biology, landscape and spatial statistics.
Caitlin E O'Connell-Rodwell
Dr. Caitlin Elizabeth O'Connell-Rodwell is a conservation biologist and author. She is an instructor at Harvard Medical School, and scientific consultant, co-founder and chief executive officer of Utopia Scientific, a non-profit foundation promoting the importance of science and conservation.
Dr. O'Connell-Rodwell's research centers on middle-ear mechanics and the low frequency acoustic and bone conduction hearing of species with sensitivity to frequencies below the human hearing threshold—primarily the elephant.
Sebastian Oberst
Dr Oberst works as Associate Professor at the Centre for Audio, Acoustics and Vibration (CAAV) at the University of Technology, Sydney, and is head of the Biogenic dynamics group conducting research in bioacoustics, complex dynamics, and acoustic/biogenic (meta-)materials. His research is applied to the eusociality of insects, (primarily termites, but also bees) and the structures they build, extending to their vibro-acoustic communication signals following the noise control engineering principle. Nonlinear time series analysis or methods used in engineering and physics are key elements of his research applied to the life sciences, especially behavioural ecology.
Ljerka Ostojic
Assistant Professor in Psychology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Rijeka, Croatia. Past: Postdoctoral Researcher and PhD at the Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, UK.
Pierpaolo Pani
Dr. Pierpaolo Pani is a Associate Professor within the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, SAPIENZA, University of Rome. He received a MSc in Experimental Psychology and PhD in Neurophysiolgy (Behavioral and Integrative) at Sapienza University (Rome), and was a post-doc in KULeuven (Laboratory for Neuro- and Psychophysiology).
Dr. Pani's main topics of investigation include Cognitive control, executive functions, goal-oriented behavior and decision making. These topics include behavioral and psychophysiological investigations in humans; behavioral and neuronal dynamics investigations in mammals; characterization of executive functions control in psychiatric conditions.
Claire B Paris
Claire Beatrix Paris is a Professor in the department of Ocean Science, University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Director of the Physical-Biological Interactions Lab, she focuses on biophysical dispersion at sea, as well as the transport and fate of pollutants and oil spills from deep-sea blowout. Paris has brought recognition to the key role of behavior of the pelagic larval stage in the connectivity of marine populations and the function of ecosystems.
Paris has developed numerical and empirical tools for her laboratory’s research, both used worldwide: the Connectivity Modeling System (CMS) is an Open-Source Software (OSS) that virtually tracks biotic and abiotic particles in the ocean, and the Drifting In Situ Chamber (DISC) is a field instrument used to track the movement behavior of the early life history stages of marine organisms and detect the signals they use to orient and navigate.
Rebecca SV Parkes
Dr Rebecca Parkes is an Executive Manager at the Hong Kong Jockey Club. She is an equine veterinarian with a particular interest in equine welfare, and sports medicine and rehabilitation. Her research interests are in equine welfare and veterinary education.
Prior to this, she was Associate Professor in Large Animal Medicine and Surgery at St George's University, Grenada where she taught equine medicine and surgery, clinical skills and professionalism. Prior to joining SGU, Dr Parkes was Assistant Professor at City University of Hong Kong. At CityU, she led the Clinical Skills Laboratory and the Veterinary Practice and Professional courses. Dr Parkes graduated with a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine from the Royal Veterinary College, London in 2010. She also holds a PhD in equine locomotor biomechanics, a Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice and a Postgraduate Certificate in Veterinary Education.
Luisa A.M. Pinto
Luisa Pinto is Assistant Researcher at the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho in Portugal, and Invited Assistant Professor at the School of Health Sciences, University of Minho. She is also manager of a spin-off enterprise “BNML – Behavioural & Molecular Lab” of the ICVS. Luisa is Associate Member of EpiGeneSys, a FP7 European Community-funded Network of Excellence; Editor of the journal Advances in Biology.
Sara Platto
Dr. Sara Platto is Associate Professor of Animal Behavior and Welfare within the Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences at Jianghan University
Her research interests include, Marine Mammals, Behavioral Ecology, Mammals, Wildlife Conservation, Wildlife Biology, Wildlife Ecology, Animal Ecology, Animal Behavior, Ethology and Wildlife Management.
Michelle Ploughman
Canada Research Chair in Rehabilitation, Neuroplasticity and Brain Recovery, Dr. Ploughman is a recognized expert in neuroplasticity and neurorehabilitation in stroke and multiple sclerosis. Her research focuses on the effects of aerobic exercise, intensive training paradigms and lifestyle habits on the brain challenged by injury, disease and aging. Dr. Ploughman continues to practice as a neurological physiotherapist in St John’s and her Recovery and Performance Laboratory is located in the Rehabilitation Research Unit (RRUNL), L.A. Miller Centre, St. John’s NL, Canada.
Diogo B Provete
I am an Assistant Professor of Ecology and Statistical Ecology at the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. My primary research interests include metacommunity ecology, biogeography, macroecology, and macroevolution. I often use phylogenetic comparative methods, geometric morphometrics, and multidimensional analysis in my research. I'm an elected member of the Science Committee of the Ecological Society of America, Chair of the ESA Latin America Chapter and serve as an Associate Editor for Amphibia-Reptilia, Journal of Herpetology, and Ecosphere. So far, I have published 30 papers on ecology and herpetology in international journals, 4 book chapters, in addition to a book on Biogeographical patterns of South American Anurans by Springer. My research has been featured in F1000 Prime and several Brazilian newspapers. I have advised four master's students. I have been invited to present my research in Swansea (UK), Argentina, Recife, and São Paulo. I served as Editor-in-Chief for Check List, and also was a member of the editorial board of five other zoology journals.
Juan P Quimbayo
I am an ecologist who uses a multidisciplinary approach to understand and conserve biodiversity through space and time. I earned my Ph.D. from the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina in Brazil and served as a Research Scientist at the Ohio State University. I previously conducted post-doctoral work at other institutions, including the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and São Paulo University. I joined the U in 2024 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology where I established the BioScales Lab. My lab focuses on exploring: (1) patterns and processes of biodiversity dynamics across space and time, (2) ecological interactions, and (3) effects of global change on biodiversity. To investigate these themes, we integrate theoretical concepts, statistical tools, and field-based methods across multiple scales.