Birds, bugs, and brains—oh my.
At the Comparative Psychology and Animal Learning (CoPAL) Lab, we explore how animals think, learn, and make decisions. From pigeons that peck out patterns to tropical cockroaches navigating puzzles, our research looks at what behavior can tell us about cognition across species.
We ask questions like:
- Can a pigeon do logic?
- Does a cockroach have a preferred side?
- Why do some brains treat quantities like space?
We work at the intersection of animal behavior, learning theory, and cognitive science—and we like to keep things curious, rigorous, and just a little weird.
If you’re an undergrad interested in research, a science teacher connecting through Skype-a-Scientist, or just a fellow nerd with questions about the mind—welcome.