Jordanna D.H. Sprayberry

Profile Photo Jordanna Sprayberry

Associate Professor, Ecology & Evolution, Director of Undergraduate Biology
PhD, University of Washington

Training

I earned my B.S. in Zoology at the University of Rhode Island, and went onto a Ph.D. at the University of Washington, where I worked with Dr. Tom Daniel. Building on a lifelong interest in animal behavior, my graduate studies focused on flower tracking behavior in the hawkmoth Manduca sexta. Animal behavior is the linkage between neural processing, ecology, and evolution: how nervous systems process sensory information is a driving force in behavior, which in turn influences inter- and intra-species interactions. These interactions create selective forces that shape nervous system functioning. My graduate studies combined investigations of the neural substrates of flower tracking - looking at responses to floral motion in the descending connectives - with behavioral studies on flower tracking ability and its commensurate energetic consequences. My interests in exploring sensory processing in the context of ecologically relevant behaviors led me to a post-doctoral fellowship in the lab of Dr. John Hildebrand to develop my understanding of olfactory encoding. When I completed my work in the Hildebrand lab, I established a research program investigating the neuroethology of pollination.

Research

I am fundamentally interested in how animals work – what drives their behavior, and how their behavior affects evolutionary and ecological relationships. I fulfill these interests with a research program broadly organized around the neuroethology of pollination: i.e. how sensory processing of pollinators drives behavior, as well as relevant plant-insect interactions. My lab utilizes diverse techniques in our pursuit of these questions; including computational analysis, neurophysiology, field studies, and behavior. Current projects in the lab predominantly focus on the role of olfaction in bumblebee foraging, including the effects of odor-pollution. Additional work investigates the relative roles of vision and olfaction in bumblebees searching for novel resources.

Publications

Google Scholar profile