Dr. Duncan Leitch

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Duncan Leitch is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at the University of California, Los Angeles. His research focuses on the function and organization of sensory systems across a diverse range of vertebrates utilizing molecular, electrophysiological, and behavioral techniques. His work has involved examining the somatosensory representation in a wide range of non-traditional mammals such as naked mole rats, shrews, and moles, as well as reptiles including crocodilians and snakes. His projects aim to identify the molecular contributors to sensory cells, particularly in aquatic organisms like elasmobranchs, teleost fishes, and amphibians, which are utilized to detect faint electric fields from predators and prey (electroreception). This research is driven by a desire to understand the basic principles of brain organization and function through a comparative evolutionary perspective.

Research Interests

Requirements for University of California Los Angeles

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
GRE General
Verbal
Required:160
Quantitative
Required:160
Analytical Writing
Required:5
Overall
Required:5
TOEFL
Total
Required:87
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree Strong background in Economics and Mathematics
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Transcripts
  • 3 Letters of Recommendation
  • GRE General Test scores
Specialization Notes

Department of Economics admits primarily for the PhD program.