Research
Research Assistant - Vocal Development: The Smith-Vidaurre (BIRDS) Lab
I currently work in the BIRDS Lab at Michigan State University under Dr. Grace Smith-Vidaurre, assisting in the research of vocal development in zebra finches and monk parakeets. In this position, I have gained experience troubleshooting equipment and developing code for evaluating bioacoustic analysis, issues/bugs, unit tests, and vignettes. It is shocking how time flies while having fun doing computational work. I have also taken on lab setup responsibilities such as ordering lab equipment, writing standard operating procedures, creating rough lab logos, and establishing protocols for lab chores. Consequently, this has created a foundation for a pleasant work environment that invites collaboration and creativity. Once zebra finches arrive on campus, I will lead animal husbandry tasks, run lab work, record their vocalization, and track their behaviors.
Undergraduate Researcher: Lipshutz Lab
As an undergraduate at Loyola University Chicago, I worked on an independent research project on the morphological differences between the sexes of spotted sandpipers with my mentor Dr. Sara E. Lipshutz. I found that there are significant differences between male and female morphological traits as well as feather spot patterns. This indicates that our Californian population has a similar degree of sexual dimorphism to the well-researched Midwestern population. Through this project, I developed skills in managing field data collection, conducting wet lab experiments, and running code on R Studio. I have presented this work at the Animal Behavior Society conference, Loyola, and Chicago Area Undergraduate Research Symposia.
