Science Café | Sensory Worlds: The Neural Basis of Animal Behaviour

January 24th, 2024 at 05:30 pm to 06:30 pm

How is an owl able to catch a mouse in darkness? How does a fish use electricity to sense its environment? How does a toad recognize a predator versus prey? What better way to learn about ourselves, and gain inspiration and understanding for the natural world, then to look to nature’s sensory experts. In this talk, we will explore the incredible ways animal brains work to perceive their world, and how it can give us better insight into our own.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

Dr. Katie Lucas is an instructor in the Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science. She has studied the structure and function of animal sensory systems throughout her academic career, including hearing in butterflies and mosquitoes, and electrogeneration in weakly electric fish. Dr. Lucas received her MSc in Biology at Carleton University in 2008 and her PhD from the University of Bristol, UK, in 2013. Dr. Lucas has been teaching at Carleton since 2015 in the departments of Biology and Neuroscience and is currently a member of the Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, where she teaches interdisciplinary science courses that address such topics as academic integrity, research skills, science communication, and museum science.