Work in the Comparative Neurobiology lab attempts to understand how variation in brain structure and size influences organismic function and identify the factors that drive evolution and plasticity of the nervous system. Current projects on this topic study variation in structure and size of the brain in populations of fish and amphibians, the proximate mechanisms generating this variation, and the functional consequences of this variation. Additionally, the lab is involved in collaborative efforts aiming to develop novel indicators of ecological performance and chronic stress in wild fish. The lab has also previously investigated olfactory neurobiology in plethodontid salamanders.