Navigating noisy and turbid waters to forage for food and maintain connection with conspecifics is a constant challenge that dolphins seem to handle with ease. We are interested in how dolphins interpret sonar returns, and use this information to prepare future movements and subsequent sonar clicks.
Sealions are amazing animals in that their sense of hearing has developed to function both in-air and underwater! Along with other pinnipeds, they offer a relatively unique model of hearing adaptations in radically different environments. Behavioral training allows for audiogram tests, but to date a large majority of neuroelectrophysiology has required animal sedation to perform. If you've ever seen a sea lion whip its head, then you can appreciate how challenging it is to maintain good contact between noninvasive sensors and the animal's head.
This research program exists at the intersection of motor learning, music cognition, psychophysics, and brain computer interfaces to examine the interaction of perception and action.
Office of Naval Research Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative: Learning from Hearing FY23-27
Biosemi 32 channel EEG system
NIRx 16 channel fNIRS system
AD Instruments Powerlab
marine mammal research system
psychophysiology teaching systems