Our primary research goal is to uncover the origin, function, and cellular, molecular, and biochemical mechanisms underlying natural variation in the spatial and temporal patterns of degeneration and regeneration in the adult vertebrate brain. We combine several approaches including behavioral genomics, comparative neuroanatomy, cellular and molecular biology, and electrophysiology with mechanistic studies to accomplish our research aims. By integrating comparative neuroethology and cell and molecular biology with behavioral genetic and eco-evo approaches, our lab asks questions like: How do differing spatiotemporal patterns of adult neurogenesis arise within and across individuals, populations, and species? And, can we exploit the plasticity and diversity of these spatiotemporal patterns to uncover both ultimate mechanisms and the behavioral consequences of natural degeneration and regeneration?