Generate a tailored SOP for Dr. Carolyn Mcbride. Improve your application with a focused, well-structured draft.
Carolyn (Lindy) McBride is an Associate Professor at the Princeton Neuroscience Institute and the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Her research focuses on the genetic and neuronal basis of behavior, utilizing natural populations to understand how organisms adapt to new environments and how behavior evolves to aid in survival and reproduction. The McBride lab emphasizes the evolution of sensory behaviors in the mosquito Aedes aegypti, which has transitioned from an ancestral forest form that feeds on various animals to a domestic form that specializes in biting humans, becoming a primary vector for diseases like Dengue and Chikungunya. The lab investigates the genetic changes and neural circuit modifications that accompany new behavioral adaptations, such as the mosquito's preference for human body odor. Further areas of interest include habitat preferences, oviposition preferences, and defensive behaviors in both domestic adults and larvae. By combining evolutionary genomics, molecular genetics, electrophysiology, and neural imaging, Professor McBride aims to enhance the understanding of the molecular and neural control of behavior to inform strategies for preventing disease transmission by mosquitoes.
GRE scores are not accepted. Ph.D. is the primary degree; students are not required to hold an M.S.E. prior to admission.