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Welcome to the Dijkstra lab at Central Michigan University!

We study how social competition and oxidative stress shape brain function, stress resilience, and evolutionary processes. Using African cichlid fish (our primary model for studying social behavior), we combine behavioral, physiological, and neurogenomic approaches to study how animals cope with the metabolic challenges of territoriality, reproduction, and social stress. We also collaborate with Dr. Wong on related research using zebrafish to study alternative stress coping styles.

Cichlids are highly social, vividly colored fish in which males must aggressively compete for territories to gain access to mates. Females face extreme reproductive challenges: they mouthbrood their young for 2–3 weeks without eating, making them especially vulnerable to energetic trade-offs. These features make cichlids a powerful system for studying social stress, sexual selection, and the physiological costs of reproduction and parenting.

Research spotlight: 

• Social stress and the brain (media coverage).

• Sexual selection and male coloration.

• Why do mothers eat their babies? (media coverage) - and our follow-up study.

A cichlid community in our lab

Shown are dominant male cichlids engaged in territorial conflict.