ALIGNED RESEARCH FOCUS
Early experience, development, individual differences, behavior, neuroimaging
RESEARCH DESCRIPTION
My broad research focus is on the effects of early experience on biobehavioral processes. I use a lifespan approach to investigate the effects of early environmental factors on developmental trajectories in aspects of brain, behavior, and physiology in macaques. My background as an experimental scientist will allow the unit to develop evidence-based studies to assess the effectiveness and animal welfare benefit of the training and environmental enhancement that we provide to the WNPRC monkeys. An evidenced-based approach allows the unit to develop and continue to refine enrichment techniques that can be effectively implemented in our housing environments. Our goal is to adopt enrichment strategies that maximize welfare benefit and to weed out strategies that prove to be less effective in supporting species-typical behavior. Adopting a developmental perspective provides the opportunity for the Behavioral Management Unit to incorporate specific maturational considerations in our welfare enhancement approaches.