Dr. David Perkel

Biography

David J. Perkel is a Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Washington. His research focuses on the neural mechanisms of vocal learning in songbirds, which serve as an experimentally accessible model system for studying these processes. Perkel's lab uses a variety of electrophysiological, anatomical, and behavioral approaches to probe the neural circuits involved in song production and learning. The primary neural circuits of interest include the motor pathway descending from the forebrain nucleus HVC to nucleus RA and the anterior forebrain pathway (AFP), which is essential for vocal learning and production. His team investigates how these circuits are structured and function, and how they evolve in different songbird species. A major part of their work includes understanding the level of neurons and synapses in the context of songs that are learned and produced. Perkel's ongoing research addresses mechanisms of pattern generation within the motor pathway, the structural and functional aspects of the AFP, as well as the evolutionary origins of these pathways in songbirds. He also collaborates with other researchers to explore how seasonal changes influence song learning behaviors.

Research Interests