We are researchers and students!

Cultivating curiosity, compassion and rigor in research.

You can read more about us all below.

Our research is made possible because of many others. Check out our core collaborators both inside and outside of Cornell.

Spring 2024

Back Row (R-L): Ehren, Mary, Jeremiah, Martin, Sasha, Graciella, Mary. Front Row (R-L): Josie, Rosie, Celine, Katie, Jinyu.

Fall 2024

Fall 2023

Spring 2024

Back Row (R-L): Ehren, Mary, Jeremiah, Martin, Sasha, Graciella, Mary. Front Row (R-L): Josie, Rosie, Celine, Katie, Jinyu.

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Nora H Prior

Principal Investigator

Assistant Professor

Nora joined Cornell as a PI in 2021, and started as an Assistant Professor in Psychology in July 2024. Her backgrounds spans ecology, animal behavior, neuroendocrinology, and psychology of perception.

About Me

Senior Researchers

Research Associate

Ehren Bentz, PhD

Project: Effect of social bonding on neurogenomic state of sensory cortices - focused on the effect of social experiences on chromatin remodeling.

Co-advised with Ben Sandkam in NBB

Post Doctoral Fellow

Paula Olivio, PhD

Project: Neuroendocrine Mechanisms of vocal dynamics in paired zebra finches - with a focus on the role of glucocorticoids in the social behavior network, song control system and sensory circuits.

Post Doctoral Research

Mary Elson, PhD

Project: Dynamic vocal interactions and perception in paired and unpaired zebra finches.

Graduate Students

PhD Student

Celia McLean, MSc

Project: The function of Acoustic Fine structure in communication in birds.

PhD Student

Sophia Becker

Project: Neuroendocrinology of pair-bond maintenance.

Master's Student

Wangchen Pei

Project: On the impact of - A Birdsong Program - a community engaged program.

Undergraduate Researchers

Josh Davis

HD 4010

Fall 2023- Current

Project: Neuroendocrinology of Social Behavior.

Saahil Joshi

BIOG 4990 Student

Spring 2023 - Current

Project: Auditory discrimination of social partners in female zebra finches.

Josephine Kelly

BIOG 4990 Student

Fall 2023 - Current

Project: Social diet and food preferences.

Alana Carrasco

BIOG 4990 Student

Fall 2023 - Current

Research Assistant: Bioacoustics & Perception.

Works with Celia McLean.

Katie Greening

HD 4010 Student

Spring 2024 - Current

Research Assistant: Social Behavior and Stress.

Works with Sophia Becker.

Varsha Patel

BIOG 4990 Student

Fall 2023 - Current

Research Assistant: Social Behavior and Stress.

Works with Sophia Becker

Core Collabortors

We are lucky to work closely with several labs at Cornell University and have core collaborations with:

Ophir's Integrative Neuroethology Lab (Psychology Department), Sandkam's Behavioral Ecology and Evolution Lab (Department of Neurobiology and Behavior), and Matthew Taves Immunoregulation Lab (Animal Sciences, University of Illinois).

Past Undergraduate Researchers

Rosie Hsu, BIOG 4990 (Fall 2022 - Spring 2025)
Sasha Smalls, BIOG 4990 Senior Thesis Student (Fall 2022-Spring 2025)
Jeremiah Gorman, BIOG 4990 Senior Thesis Student (Spring 2022-Spring 2025)
Martin Kim, PSYCH 4770 Senior Thesis Student/SURF fellow (Spring 2023-Fall 2025)
Sophia Huynh, BIOG 4990 (Spring 2023-Spring 2025)
Gianna Morales, BIOG 4990 Senior Thesis Student (Fall 2022 - Fall 2024)
Precious Oyewole, Birdsong Program Coordinator (Summer 2023 - Fall 2024)
Pamela Anderson, Research Specialist (Fall 2023 - Fall 2024)
Kathleen Anderson, BIOG 4990 Artist in Residence (Spring 2022-Fall 2023)
Karim Sorour, BIOG 4990 Student (Fall 2022-Spring 2024)
Kristen Briney, BSc Research Specialist (March - December 2023)
Katrianna Galloway BIOG 4990 Student (Spring 2022-Spring 2023)
Tyleah Brown BIOG 4990 Student (Fall 2023 - Spring 2023)

...An individual’s social world emerges from, and persists within, their sensory experiences.

We are researchers and students!

Nora H Prior

Senior Researchers

Graduate Students

Undergraduate Researchers

Core Collabortors

Past Undergraduate Researchers