Deciphering Vocal Communication and Behavioral Interactions of Mongolian Gerbils in Their Native Habitat
Merri Rosen, Professor of Neuroscience at NEOMED, Department of Biomedical Sciences
Project Description:
Mongolian gerbils – those cute critters found at every pet store – aren’t native to North America. They’re all descended from 50 animals collected from the high steppes of Mongolia, back in the 1930’s. In Mongolia, gerbils are highly social, living as families together in systems of burrows. They communicate with one another through vocalizations, and they’re quite territorial, so interactions across colonies are not always friendly. We’re studying their interactions with familiar and unfamiliar gerbils in their natural environment, in comparison with lab-raised gerbils.
In the lab, your role will include:
- Working with audio and video files of gerbils, collected from wild colonies in Mongolia
- Recording interactions of laboratory gerbils in social settings, and analyzing recorded data
What you'll get out of it:
- Training in data analysis and machine-learning software to identify and categorize vocalizations
- Learn to conduct behavioral experiments with lab animals
- Exposure to experimental design, data processing and organization
- Interact and learn from lab members studying the neuroscience of auditory perception
- Opportunity to learn more about neuroscience from our journal clubs and seminars
What we're looking for:
- Willingness & ability to travel to and from NEOMED
- Ability to commit at least 7 hours/week
- Enthusiasm and reliability